Zihvaxy  of  Che  theological  ^eminarjp 

PRINCETON    .   NEW  JERSEY 
PRESENTED  BY 


President  Francis  L.  Patton 
1904 


!^5 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/modernhistoryofu01whit 


THE 


MODERN 

HISTOM  or  UNIVERSALISM: 


KXTENDINQ  FROM  THE 


EPOCH  OF  THE  REFORMATION  TO  THE  PRESENT  TIME. 


OONSISTINQ  OP 

ACCOUNTS    or    INDIVIDUALS    AND    SKCTS    "WnO    HATE    BELIEVED    THAT 

DOCTRINE  ;     SKETCHES,   BIOORAPHICAL  AND  LITERARY,  OF 

AUTHORS    WHO    HAVE  WRITTEN  BOTH  IN  FAVOR  OF 

AND  AGAINST  IT  ;     WITH  SELECTIONS  FROM 

THEIR  WRITINGS,  AND 

NOTES,  HISTORICAL  EXPLANATORY  AND  ILLUSTRATIVE 


BY  THOMAS  WHITTEMOEE, 

Pastor  of  the  First  Univcrsalist  Society  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  from  1822  to  1831 ;  Editor 

otllK-  "Trumpet  and  Uuivertiali^t  Magazine,"  trom  1S28  to  the  present  time; 

author   of  the  '•Notes  and   IlUi.Ntratloiis   of  the   Tarables:"  the  •' I'laiu 

tjiiide  to    Univcisalism;"    •' Coiumcutary    on   the    Kevelatiim  of  St. 

John  the  Divine;"'    ■  .Memoir  of  Jtev.  Walter  Balfour;"  "  Life  ot 

Eev.  llosea  Ballou,  with  Accounts  of  his  Writings,"  &c. 


VOL.  I. 


BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED    BY    ABEL    TOMPKINS, 

38    &   40    CORNIIILL, 

1860. 


Entered  according  to  an  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  18C0, 

BY   THOMAS   WUITTEMORE, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


Printed  by 

BAZIN  AND  CHANDLER, 

37  Cornhill 


TO 

REV.     THOMAS    J.     SAWYEE,     D.     D. 

Dear  Brother, — 

To  you,  more  than  to  any  other  man,  am  I  indebted  for  aid  in  the  pre- 
paration of  the  Modern  History  of  Universalism.  Very  soon  after  you 
entered  the  ministry,  you  began  to  show  a  strong  interest  in  the  matter; 
and  from  that  time  until  the  present,  you  have  been  more  or  less  engtig- 
ed  in  promoting  it.  In  the  German  department,  your  labors  have  been 
very  valuable,  and,  in  fact,  they  have  been  so  in  all  departments.  The 
Universalists  of  the  United  States  owe  you  a  large  debt  of  honor  and 
gratitude. 

For  these  reasoift,  among  others,  my  excellent  friend,  I  take  the  liberty 
to  dedicate  this  work  to  you .  It  is  but  a  feeble  testimony  of  my  regard, 
but  it  is  the  best  I  can  render.  The  effects  of  your  labors  will  be  seen 
in  it  all  along. 

May  the  Lord  bless  you  and  keep  you;  may  he  make  his  face  to  shine 
upon  and  be  gracious  unto  you;  may  he  lift  up  the  light  of  his  counten- 
ance upon  you  and  give  you  peace.    Amen. 

THOMAS    WHITTEMORE. 


PREFACE. 

I  have  the  satisfaction  to  lay  before  the  public  the  first 
volume  of  the  second  edition  of  the  Modern  History  of 
Universalism.  The  first  edition  came  out  in  1830,  and  was 
favorably  received.  It  was  contained  in  one  12mo.  volume 
of  450  pages,  large  type.  From  the  time  named  until  the 
present,  I  have  been  upon  the  watch  for  facts.  But  I  have 
not  done  all  I  should  have  been  glad  to  do.  During  the  whole 
time,  I  had  my  paper  (the  Trumpet)  to  take  care  of,  which 
was  my  chief  concern.  I  should  not  have  undertaken  the 
writing  of  this  work  now,  had  I  not  thought  there  was  great 
danger,  if  I  did  not  accomplish  it  soon,  I  should  never  do  it. 
I  did  not  think  that  any  one  could  take  my  hints,  memoranda, 
references,  &c.,  &c.,  and  bring  them  into  form.  A  sense  of 
duty  to  write  out  the  work  kept  pressing  upon  me.  I  con- 
fess I  had  serious  doubts  whether  I  could  get  through  the 
labor,  if  I  begun  it.  My  health  was  far  from  being  perfect, 
and  has  not  been  made  better  by  my  toil  in  the  preparation 
of  this  book.  It  has  seemed,  at  times,  after  I  had  begun  the 
writing,  I  must  abandon  the  design,  and  give  up  the  hope 
of  completing  the  work.  But  I  have  been  kept  along  until 
this  time  ;  and  the  first  volume,  bearing  many  marks  of  im- 
perfection, is  now  before  the  world.  I  do  not  believe  it  the 
best  that  could  be  written,  but  it  was  the  best  I  could 
write  under  my  circumstances.  I  had  to  do  the  best  I  could, 
and  leave  it  for  those  who  came  after  me  to  do  better. 


VI  PREFACE. 

The  second  volume  is  nearly  written.  My  hope  was  to 
get  the  whole  of  the  European  history  into  the  first  volume  ; 
but  I  found  it  impossible.  I  shall  make  the  most  economi- 
cal use  I  can  of  the  four  hundred  pages  of  the  second  vol- 
ume. It  will  be  seen  the  page  is  large  ;  the  type  is  small ; 
the  extracts  are  put  in  smaller  type,  and  the  notes  in  that 
which  is  still  smaller.  The  object  has  been  to  get  as  much 
as  possible  into  the  books.  The  second  volume  will  com- 
plete the  work. 

And  now,  how  can  I  fail  to  ascribe  goodness  and  mercy 
to  Him  who  has  presei-ved  me  ?  My  life,  my  strength,  my 
all  are  from  Ilim.  If  this  volume  shall  aid  (as  I  trust  it 
will)  in  showing  that  many  of  the  great  and  good  in  all 
ages  have  rejected  with  horror  the  doctrine  of  endless 
pains,  and  have  held,  with  great  joy,  the  hope  of  the  final 
happiness  of  all  men,  and  in  this  way  subserve  the  glory  of 
God,  to  him  shall  be  all  the  praise. 
Camhridgeport,  May  15,  1860, 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


BOOK    I, 


THE    REFORMATION  :    RISE,  CONDEMNATION  AND   DISPERSION   OF   THB 

ANABAPTISTS    IN    GERMANY. 

[From  A.  D.  1500  to  1550.] 

History  of  Umversalism  divides  at  the  Reformation;  Influence  of  Luther; 
A  retrospective  view  of  noble  spirits:  Corruptions  of  the  Catholic 
church;  llow  the  event  of  the  Reformation  is  connected  with  the  history 
of  Universalisni;  Causes  that  led  to  the  Reformation;  Principles  on 
which  the  Reformation  was  founded;  Luther  somewliat  doubtful  on  the 
doctrine  of  Endless  punishment;  tliese  principles  gave  rise  to  m:iny  new 
Sects;  Some  account  of  these  Sects;  Rise  of  the  Anabaptists;  Universal- 
ism  prevailed  among  them;  Uenkius,  Hetzor,  and  Pannonius;  Condem- 
nation of  the  Anabaptist*!;  Sect  of  the  Liberals;  Account  of  David 
George;  Excitement  against  the  Anabaptists;  They  suffered  not  solely 
for  believing  in  Universalism. 

BOOK     II. 

THE  REFORMATION  IN  ENGLAND  ;  SPREAD  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF 
THE   ANABAPTISTS  AND  OTHER  SECTS  ;  AND  THEIR  CONDEMNATION. 

[From  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VIIL  to  that  of  Elizabeth, 
A.  D.  1500  to  15G'2. 

The  Reformation  at  first  opposed  by  Henry  VHI. ;  He  denounces  the  Pope 
and  favors  the  Reformation ;  Cranmer  made  Archbishop  and  favors  the 
Reformation ;  Translation  of  the  Bible  by  authority  of  the  King ;,  The 
Reformation  progresses  during  the  reign  of  Edward  VL  ;  New  Sects 
spring  up  in  England;  Universalism  makes  its  appearance;  The  new 
Sects  opposed  by  the  Reformers;  The  Anabaptists  prevail  extensively  ; 
The  Fortv-two  Articles  set  up  as  a  standard  of  national  faith;  Death  or 
Edward;  Accession  of  Mary;  Accession  of  Elizabeth,  and  change  in 
the  Articles;  Universalism,  no  heresy  in  the  Church  of  England  since 
that  change. 


VIH  CONTENTS. 


BOOK    III. 

HISTORY     OP     UNIVERSALIS^     IN     ENGLAND     CONTINUED  ;    ITS   CON- 
DEMNATION   BY    THE    PARLIAMENT  ;    AND    NOTICES    OF    ITS 
DEFENDERS    DURING    THIS   PERIOD. 
[From  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  to  that  of  Queen  Ann,  A.  D.  1560  to  1700.] 

Rise  of  the  Puritans;  Presbyterianism  introduced  and  Church  of  England 
abolished;  Rise  of  the  Independents;  Spiritual  conflicts  of  the  sects; 
Cruel  statutes  passed  by  the  Presbyterians  in  Parliament;  The  cruelty 
of  Parliament  does  not  check  alleged  heresy;  Gerard  Winstanley  defends 
Universalism ;  Wm.  Earbury,  the  Independent;  Notice  of  his  works; 
Pachard  Coppin  defends  Universalism ;  is  indicted  and  tried  at  Worces- 
ter and  Oxford;  Is  indicted  and  tried  at  Gloucester;  He  disputes  in  the 
Cathedral  at  Rochester,  Kent;  He  is  imprisoned;  Anonymous  works  in 
defence  of  Universalism;  Work  entitled,  "Considerations  upon  Eter- 
nity;" Character  and  tolerant  measures  of  Cromwell;  He  dies,  and  the 
restoration  and  Act  of  Uniformity  ensue;  Sir  Henry  Vane  (the  younger) 
a  Universalist;  Rev.  Jeremy  White,  Chaplain  to  the  Protector,  a  Uni- 
versalist;  White's  work  on  the  Restoration  of  all  Things;  His  excellent 
character;  Anonymous  work  on  Universalism;  R.  Stafibrd's  "  Thoughts 
on  the  Life  to  Come;"  Other  writers  supposed  to  have  been  Universal- 
ists;  Jane  Leadley  and  the  Philadelphian  Society;  Retrospection. 


BOOK    IV. 

HISTORY    OF    UNIVERSALISM    IN    ENGLAND    FURTHER  CONTINUED,  AND 

NOTICES  OF  ITS   EMINENT    DEFENDERS. 

[From  A.   D.    1650   to    1700.] 

The  doctrine  of  endless  misery  assailed  in  the  Church  of  England ;  Jeremy 
Taylor  inclined  to  Universalism;  Dr.  Henry  More,  a  supposed  believer 
in  Universal  Restoration;  Br.  Thomas  Goodwin  and  Dr.  Isaac  Barrow 
compared  with  Dr.  More;  Archbishop  Tillotson  covertly  attacked  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misei-j';  Generally  understood  to  reject  that  doctrine; 
His  excellent  character  and  influence;  His  remarkable  Sermon;  The  op- 
position it  excited  from  the  believers  in  endless  misery;  defended  by 
Le  Clerc,  Kettlewell  and  others;  SirWm.  Dawes  came  out  in  defence 
of  endless  misery,  and  the  works  of  Drexelius  and  Swinden  are  publish- 
ed; Dr.  Thomas  Burnet  opposes  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  with  gi-eat 
zeal;  The  excellent  arguments  he  used;  He  thought  the  doctrine  should 
not  be  preached;  Dr.  Watts  finds  fault  with  him  on  this  point;  William 
Whiston  and   his  works;  The  controversy  occasioned  by  his  writings; 


CONTEXTS.  ix 

Charles  Povey's  work;  Di-.  Wm.  Dodwell  attacks  Whiston;  Sir  Isaac 
Newton  agrees  with  Whiston,  as  does  also  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke;  Dr. 
George  Cheyne  defends  Universalism ;  The  CheTalier  Eanisay:  His 
works  defend  Universalism ;  He  died  the  only  specimen  of  a  Catholic 
believer  in  Universalism;  De  Foe  hints  at  Universalism;  Dr.  Watts:  Dr. 
Doddridge;  Rev.  John  Barker;  Dr.  Edward  Young;  Samuel  Culliber 
doubts  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery;  R.  Roach,  B.  D.,  a  Universalist; 
Mr.  Wm.  Dudgeon,  a  Universalist;  Venn's  work  in  favor  of  endless 
misery;  Bishop  Warburton's  Divine  Legation;  Retrospection. 

BOOK    V. 

DIVIDED  INTO  FOURTEEN   CHAPTERS. 

CHAPTER  1. 

tJNIVEfiSALISM    IN    GERMANY   CONCLUDED,  CONTINUED    FBOM  BOOK  I- 

[From  1550  to  the  present  time.] 

Early  writers  in  Germany;  Scalidecker;  Franciscus  Georgius;  Franciscus 
Mercurius;  William  Postell;  Theodore  Raphael  Camphuysen;  Samuel 
Huber;  Ernest  Sonner ;  Angelus  Marianus;  Peter  Serarius;  John  Wm- 
Petersen;  The  work,  Entretiens  sur  la  Restitution;  J.  J.  Wolf;  C.  G. 
Koch;  Ittigius;  The  controversy  is  warm;  History  of  Universalism  by 
the  opponent  Dietelmair;  The  Everlasting  Gospel  by  the  so-called  Sieg- 
Yolk;  the  author's  true  name,  Klein  Nicolai;  writers  on  both  sides 
(p.  260);  Frederick  Adolphus  Lampe;  Fischer,  Schuetz  and  Schjefer; 
Petersen  still  in  the  field;  Dr.  Mosheim  attacks  Universalism;  Gerhard's 
work  in  favor  of  Universalism;  He  was  one  of  the  chief  defenders  of 
that  doctrine;  death  of  Petersen  and  his  wife;  Siegvolk  still  in  the 
field;  Schlitte's  reply  to  Mosheim;  the  controversy  from  1740  to  1750; 
Jung  Stilling  born;  The  work  of  Thiess;  Authors  whom  he  names  pro 
ct  contra;  Immanuel  Kant;  Stilling,  a  Universalist;  Works  in  French 
against  Universalism;  Universalism  among  the  Rationalists;  The  Evan- 
gelicals, Olshausen,  Tholuck,  Doederlein;  Gieseler,  Keander,  &c.,  &c. 

CHAPTER   n. 

UNIVERSALISM    IN    HOLLAND. 

The  Anabaptists,  Episcopius  and  Le  Clerc;  Samuel  Crellius;  Francis 
Puccius. 

CHAPTER  m. 

UNIVERSALISM    IN    SWITZERLAND. 

The  Genevan  Pastors;  Marie  Huber;  Jacob  Vernes,  Charles  Bonnet, 
Petitjiierrc;  Lavater. 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

UNIVERSALISM    IN    FRANCE. 

Thomas  Cuppe;  The  French  Protestants;  James  Necker;  Chaisde  Source- 
sol;  J.  F.  Oberlin;  M.  Coquerell  and  the  Church  I'Oratoire. 

CHAPTER  V. 

UNIVERSAIiISM    IN    PRUSSIA    AND    ITALY. 

Paul  Jeremiah  Bitaube;  Movement  of  the  Protestant  Friends;  Tractatus 
de  Omnium  Rerum  Restitutione. 

CHAPTER  VI. 
UNIVERSALISM    IN    IRELAND. 

Bishop  Rust;  C.  L.  de  Villette;  Archbishop  Newcome;  Rev.  James 
Ewing. 

CHAPTER   VII. 

UNIVERSALISM   IN   SCOTLAND. 

Lord  Duncan  Forbes;  James  Purves;  Niel  Douglass;  "William  Worrall; 
Universalist  Societies  in  Scotland;  Unitarian  Societies  in  that  country ; 
Robert  Burns;  Mrs.  A.  Cockburn. 

CHAPTER   Vm. 
UNIVERSALISM    IN    "WALES. 

Rev.  Thomas  Jones;  Rev.  Thomas  Sheen;  The  Welch  Unitarians. 
CHAPTER  IX. 

UNIVERSALISM    IN    THE    GREEK    CHURCH. 

Bird's  eye  view  of  the  prevalence  of  Universalism ;  Stoudza's  testimony 
that  Universalism  is  tolerated  in  the  Greek  Church. 

CHAPTER   X. 

JEWS,    BELIEVERS    IN    UNIVERSAL    HAPPINESS. 

Testimony  of  a  Rabbi  in  Baltimore,  Md. ;  correspondence  of  Jews,  from 
the  "Jewish  Spy." 

CHAPTER   XL 

UNIVERSALISM    IN    SWEDEN. 
Williamson  (I.  D.) ;  Account  of  a  Swedish  preacher  of  Universalism. 


CONTENTS.  xi 

CHAPTER    Xir. 
PRINCE   MUSKAU   A    TJNIVERSALIST. 
Extract  from  his  tour  in  EDgland,  Ii-eland  and  France. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
UNIVERSALISM    IN    DENMARK. 
Hans  Christian  Anderson. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

UNIVERSALISM  IN  NEW  SOUTH  "WALES. 

BOOK     VI. 

HISTORY  OP  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND  RESUMEED. 
Universalism  prevailed  to  a  great  extent ;  The  defenders  arranged  in  four 
classes;  Essay  on  the  Divine  Paternity;  several  other  Avorks;  Le  del 
ouvert  a  tons  ks  hommes ;  The  great  love  and  tenderness  of  God;  a 
Rhapsudy  of  Free  Thouglits;  writers  who  have  admitted  the  doctrine 
of  Universalism;  William  Law;  Dr.  Steed;  Mr.  Wm.  Dunconibe;  Soame 
Jeunyns;  Henry  Brooke;  John  llildrop,  M.  A.;  Dr.  Andrew  Kipi)is; 
Rev.  William  Paley;  Rev.  .James  Foster;  Dr  Thomas  Amory;  Bishop 
Hurd;  Dr.  Richard  Price;  Dr.  Hugh  Blair;  Rev.  Robert  Hall;  Rev. 
Robert  Robinson;  Rev.  George  Walkei-,  &,c. 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  first  edition  of  this  work  came  out  in  the  beginning 
of  A.D.  1830.  The  preparation  of  it  had  been  suggested 
to  the  author  as  early  as  1823,  by  Rev.  Hosea  Ballon  2d, 
then  pastor  of  the  Universalist  Society,  in  Roxbury,  Mass., 
and  now  President  of  Tufts  College. 

Previoxis  EflCorts  of  Convention  to  obtain  a  History. 
Several  years  before  1823,  the  General  Convention  of 
Universalists  had  taken  measures  towards  bringing  out  a 
history,  which,  however,  did  not  accomplish  such  a  result. 
The  general  idea  of  the  history  of  Universalisra,  up  to 
1822-3,  was,  that  that  doctrine  had  been  held  in  the  early 
ages  of  the  Church,  and  that  Origen  had  been  a  very 
famous  defender  of  it.  Through  the  ten  or  twelve  hun- 
dred years  of  darkness  which  had  succeeded  Origen,  it 
was  thought  that  Uuiversalism  was  wholly  unknown ; 
that  it  broke  out  among  some  of  the  sects  at  the  time  of 
the  Reformation  ;  that  a  few  distinguished  men  had  held 
it  since,  as  Bishop  Thomas  Newton,  Dr.  George  Cheyne, 
the  Chevalier  Ramsay,  and  some  others ;  that  John 
Murray  came  to  this  country  and  established  it  here  about 
the  time  of  the  Revolution,  and  that,  out  of  his  labors, 
principally,  the  sect  of  the  Universalists  had  grown. 
Such  had  been  regarded  to  be  about  all  the  facts  up 
to  about  1826.  In  1816,  the  General  Convention  had 
2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

appointed  a  committee,  consisting  of  Revs.  H.  Ballon 
(the  elder),  Edward  Turner,  and  Paul  Dean,  to  collect 
the  facts  that  could  be  obtained ;  and  the  Committee 
were  requested  to  go  on  and  compile  a  history  of 
the  rise,  progress,  and  present  state  of  Universalism, 
and  especially  of  its  spread  in  America.*  Mr.  Turner 
was  better  qualified,  undoubtedly,  than  either  of  his 
associates,  to  accomplish  the  object  at  which  the  Con- 
vention aimed.  Neither  of  them  had  had  the  oppor- 
tunities to  examine  the  works  necessary  to  be  searched 
to  bring  out  the  facts.  In  1811,  the  Committee  we  have 
named,  reported  "no  success,"  and  in  1818,  they  reported 
that  "nothing  had  been  effected,"  but  in  1819,  they  "  re- 
ported progress,  and  asked  leave  for  further  opportunity 
to  finish  the  work."  Rev.  Jacob  "Wood  had  been  put 
upon  the  Committee  in  place  of  Rev,  Paul  Dean.  In  the 
month  of  September,  1820,  appeared  the  following  pros- 
pectus : — 

Proposals  for  publishing,  by  subscription,  a  work  entitled  "  A  Brief 
History  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Doctrine  of  Universal  Sal- 
vation, with  a  View  of  the  Present  Stateofthe  Universalist  Societies 
in  Europe  and  America.^' 

It  was  said  that — 

"  This  History  will  comprise  a  brief  view  of  such  wi-iters  as  have 
asserted  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation,  from  Origen,  in  the  third 
century,  to  the  present  time;  and  the  ideas  and  arguments  of  such  authors 
will  be  exhibited  in  concise  extracts  ft-om  their  works.  It  Avill  embrace  a 
view  of  some  of  the  causes  which  contributed  to  promote  the  growth  of 
the  above  doctrine  in  the  United  States.  A  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  a 
history  of  the  Convention  of  Universalist  Societies,  from  its  commence- 
ment to  the  present  period.  The  present  condition  of  the  societies  will  be 
exhibited,  and  compared  with  the  situation  when  first  known  as  distinct 
communities  of  Christians.    The  lives  and  characters  of  several  of  the 

*  See  Whittemore's  Life  of  Ballou,  vol.  i.,  pp.  416,  417,  iii.  pp.  27-29 
and  the  MSS.  Records  of  the  Convention. 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

most  distinguished  preachers  of  Universalism  will  be  briefly  delineated. 
Towards  the  conclusion^  an  account  -niU  be  given  of  the  state  of  Uni- 
versalism in  Europe. 

"  This  work  has  been  undertaken  by  direction  of  the  General  Conven- 
tion of  the  Universalist  Societies.  The  committee  to  whom  the  compiling 
of  this  history  was  confided,  have  spared  no  pains  in  endeavoring  to 
collect  the  proper  materials.  There  are  stUl,  however,  some  deficiencies, 
which  they  have  ground  to  hope  will  be  supplied  by  the  time  the  work 
can  go  to  press;  if  they  are  not,  they  wiU  proceed  with  the  publication 
(if  the  return  of  subscribers  shall  justify  them  in  so  doing)  with  such 
data  as  they  already  possess. 

HosEA  Baixoit, 
«  Edw^vkd  Turnek, 

'  Jacob  Wood, 

Committee  for  compiling  the  above  work. " 

It  was  to  have  been  put  to  press  as  soon  as  a  thousand 
copies  were  subscribed  for,  and  it  was  to  have  contained 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  pages  12mo.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  this  work  never  appeared,  nor  have  we  any  evidence 
that  it  was  ever  written.  The  proposals  for  publication 
were  made  in  haste,  probably  through  the  eagerness  of 
Mr.  Wood  ;  and  Mr.  Ballou  permitted  uis  name  to  be  used, 
relying  principally  on  the  other  members  of  the  Committee 
for  the  preparation  of  that  part  of  the  work  which  was  to 
relate  to  Europe.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  it  was  not 
completed ;  for,  although  it  could  not  have  been  perfect, 
it  might  have  preserved  some  things  which  are  now 
irrecoverably  lost. 

How  the  Present  Histories  were  Commenced. 

Mr.  Ballou  2d.  urged  the  collection  of  facts  repeatedly 
upon  the  attention  of  Mr.  Whittemore ;  and  these  two 
brethren  came,  after  a  short  time,  to  the  understanding 
that  they  would  begin  the  gathering  of  materials,  Mr. 
Ballou  to  take  the  Ancient  part  of  the  history,  to  wit,  from 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

the  time  of  the  Apostles  to  the  Keformation,  and  Mr. 
Whittemore  the  Modern,  reaching  from  the  epoch  of  that 
great  event  to  our  own  times.  The  prospect  of  success 
in  our  seai'ch  was  truly  discouraging.  We  had  few  marks 
to  guide  us.  It  was  like  a  man  going  out  on  a  boundless 
prairie,  to  search  everywhere  for  favorite  flowers,  but  he 
knew  not  where  to  go ;  he  had  to  travel  at  random,  with 
but  few  indications  to  guide  him,  and  pick  up  the  flowers 
wherever  he  could.  So  in  our  undertaking,  we  had  no 
preceding  history  to  help  us.  Once  in  a  while,  we  would 
find  a  hint  in  the  preface  of  some  English  book,  as 
"  Jeremy  White's  Treatise  on  Divine  Goodness,"  or 
"  Smith  on  Divine  Government,"  the  first  edition  of  which 
came  out  in  1816,  when  the  leading  English  Unitarians, 
with  few  exceptions,  embraced  and  defended  the  doctrine 
of  the  final  salvation  of  all  men.  Beginning  under  these 
disadvantages,  we  pressed  forward,  and  soon  became  very 
deeply  interested  in  our  labor.  Every  once  in  a  while 
some  new  light  would  strike  us  ;  some  new  author  would 
open  to  us  ;  the  fact  that  some  eminent  man  had  defended 
the  doctrine  we  loved,  would  come  to  be  seen  ;  these  things 
would  at  once  be  communicated  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  served  to  keep  us  in  courage,  make  our  labors 
pleasant,  and  lead  us  to  hope  that  at  some  distant  day  we 
might  be  able  to  bring  out  a  history  of  Universalism  as 
it  existed  both  in  ancient  and  modern  times. 

The  Sources  of  Information. 

Among  our  earliest  efforts  we  petitioned  for  the  use  of 

the  library  of  Harvard  University,  which  was  cheerfully 

granted  us  by  special  vote  of  the  proper  authority.     In 

the  alcoves  we  spent  a  part  of  our  time  for  months  (I 


INTRODUCTION,  17 

might  almost  say  years),  steadily  pursuing  our  object. 
We  had  not  only  the  privilege  of  examining  the  books 
in  the  library  itself,  but  of  taking  to  our  houses  such  as 
we  had  special  use  for.  We  enjoyed,  we  believe,  all  the 
advantages  of  that  library  that  any  resident  graduate,  or 
even  any  officer  of  the  University  could  enjoy.  In  this 
way  we  went  on  through  the  years  1823,  '24,  '25,  and  '26. 
We  heard  of  other  valuable  libraries,  particularly  of  that 
of  the  Salem  Atheneum,  and  the  libraries  of  Rev.  Dr.  Prince, 
and  Rev.  Henry  Colman,  of  that  town.  The  two  gentle- 
men here  named  are  now  deceased.  I  never  can  forget 
their  kindness.  In  Dr.  Prince's  library  I  first  saw  the 
Monthly  Repository,  an  English  Unitarian  periodical  (the 
continuation  of  the  English  Universalist  Tlieological  Maga- 
zine):, and  from  that  work  I  obtained  more  assistance 
than  from  any  other  I  had  then  seen.  Besides  the  libraries 
mentioned,  we  had  free  use  of  the  Boston  Atheneum,  and 
various  other  similar  institutions. 

The  Publication  of  the  Modern  History. 
In  July,  1828,  Mr.  Whittemore  commenced  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Trumpet  and  Universalist  Magazine.  This 
new  source  of  excitement  turned  his  attention  in  no  small 
degree,  from  the  researches  after  the  facts  for  the  history. 
Mr.  Ballon,  iu  the  meantime,  pressed  forward  ;  and,  in  the 
month  of  February,  1829,  he  gave  his  work  to  the  public. 
It  was  greeted  on  all  hands  with  approbation.  The  pub- 
lication of  the  Ancient  History  was  an  incitement  to  Mr. 
Whittemore  to  press  on  the  Modern  to  completion.  The 
latter  was  written  between  the  time  of  the  publication  of 
the  Ancient  History  and  January,  1830. 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

Feelings  of  Mr.  Ballou  2d,  on  its  Appearance. 
Rev.  Mr.  Ballou,  my  coadjutor,  was  the  first  to  speak  of 
the  Modern  History  on  its  appearance.     He  said — 

"  Having  had  occasion  to  read  '  The  Modern  History  of  Universalism' 
as  it  came  in  sheets  from  the  press,  I  hope  to  be  excused  from  any  seeming 
forwardness,  in  offering,  thus  early,  the  first  remarks  to  the  public  on 
the  contents  and  value  of  that  work.  I  shall  not  enter  into  detail,  nor 
attempt  a  regular  Review;  but  merely  state  the  general  impressions  I 
received  from  the  perusal. 

"  Though  somewhat  acquainted  with  the  subject  beforehand,  I  found 
my  previous  calculations  exceeded  by  the  successful  collection  of  materials 
from  an  unexplored  field,  whose  extent,  bounded  only  by  the  uncertain 
limits  of  modei'n  literature,  was  enough  to  discourage  research.  I  met 
with  a  mass  of  important  information,  to  me  entirely  new;  as  well  as  a 
great  number  of  interesting  circumstances  in  those  affairs  which  had 
been  imperfectly  understood.  Judging  from  myself,  I  may  venture  to 
promise  that  our  brethren,  and  the  public  in  general,  will  find  Univeralism 
to  have  been  received,  at  different  times,  in  most  of  the  countries  of 
Europe ,  far  more  extensively  than  they  have  supposed ;  and  that  they 
will  place  on  the  list  of  its  believers,  many  eminent  names,  which  are  little 
suspected  of  belonging  to  that  class.  So  far  as  I  can  discover,  the  im- 
portant facts,  in  every  part  of  the  History,  appear  substantiated  either 
by  unquestionable  documents,  or  by  adequate  and  convincing  proofs. 

"  On  the  completion  of  a  work,  which,  during  five  or  six  tedious  years, 
was  a  subject  of  progressive  doubt,  distrust,  hope,  and  confidence,  mingled 
with  deep  anxiety,  I  may  be  allowed  to  confess,  in  gratitude  to  God,  a 
lively  sense  of  pleasure,  heightened  by  relief  from  past  care.  Through 
the  Divine  blessing,  the  entire  History  of  Universalism,  Ancient  and 
Modern,  is  at  length  before  the  public;  and  our  brethren  have  the  oppor- 
tunity, enjoyed  by  few  other  denominations,  of  becoming  familiar  with 
the  progress  and  fortune  of  their  j^cculiar  doctrine,  from  the  age  of  the 
Apostles  to  the  present  time.  We  may,  indeed,  in  our  enthusiasm,  over- 
rate the  benefit  thus  conferred  on  the  cause  of  truth ;  but,  in  that  case, 
an  indulgent  public  will,  doubtless,  excuse  a  circumstance  so  naturally 
arising  from  the  zeal  which  alone  could  encounter  the  difficulties  of  the 
undertaking,  and  which  increased  with  the  increasing  labors  of  the  work." 

Opinions  of  the  Keviewers. 
Other  writers  expressed  their  opinions  of  the  new  work. 
Rev.  Wm.  A.  Drew,   editor  of  the   Christian  Intelligencer, 
published  at  Gardiner,  Me.,  said,  in  1830 — 


INTRODUCTION.  W 

"  It  gives  us  peculiar  pleasure  to  introduce  this  work  to  the  considera- 
tion of  our  readers  and  the  public.  The  want  of  a  full  and  faithful  history 
of  our  sentiments  from  the  apostolic  age,  has  long  been  felt  in  our 
denomination ;  not  only  that  we  might  hold  a  just  and  generous  fellow- 
ship with  the  master  spirits  of  former  ages,  who,  amidst  the  darkness  and 
tyranny  of  the  times,  dared  to  think  for  themselves  and  avow  their  senti- 
ments, but  that  others  might  see  that  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation 
la  no  new-fangled  notion  —  the  offspring  of  modern  scepticism.  So 
seriously  was  this  want  realized,  that  sixteen  years  ago,  the  General 
Convention,  in  session  at  Rockingham,  Vt.,  appointed  a  Committee  to 
prepare  a  History  of  Universalism.  From  year  to  year  this  Committee, 
which  underwent  some  changes  within  the  time,  reported  no  progress, 
and  the  work  seems  at  last  entirely  abandoned.  It  may  be  well,  we  think, 
that  the  History  was  not  prepared  at  that  time.  In  those  days,  the  means 
of  information  as  to  the  state  of  Univei'salism  in  former  ages,  were  not  so 
full  as  they  now  are,  and,  consequently,  it  may  be  doubted,  whether  a 
History  prepared  then,  and  under  the  circumstances  of  the  Order  as  they 
then  existed,  would  have  been  in  all  respects  satisfactory.  The  time, 
however,  has  since  arrived,  and  the  proper  persons  for  pi-eparing  the 
History  have  arisen.  Too  many  thanks  cannot  be  given  to  the  Rev. 
Hosea  Hallou  '2d.  and  Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore,  for  having  engaged  in  this 
desirable  and  arduous  work.  After  years  of  laborious  examination,  a 
volume  from  each,  the  one  embracing  the  Ancient,  and  the  other  the 
Modern  History  of  Universalism,  has  been  presented  to  our  religious 
denomination  and  the  public.  Mr.  Ballou's  furnishes  a  history  of  our 
doctrine  from  the  Apostolic  age  to  the  Era  of  the  Reformation.  Mr. 
Whittemore's  from  that  period  to  the  present  day. 

"  The  Modern  History  is  written  in  a  strong,  but  correct  style;  and  for 
candor  and  impartiality  could  not  be  excelled." 

■Au  eminent  gentleman  of  Portland,  Me.,  wrote  to  the 
Intelligencer  as  follows,  of  the  Modern  History : — 

"  No  preconceived  notions  are  seen  running  through  his  pages, 
bending  every  event  to  suit  themselves,  as  too  commonly  is  the  case  with 
the  productions  of  sectarian  Historians.  But  every  part,  and  almost 
every  sentence,  evinces  a  certain  something,  of  matter  or  spirit,  which 
convinces  the  reader,  as  he  travels  on,  and  without  stopping  him  to  argue 
the  point,  that  our  author  has  submitted  everything  advanced,  to  the 
test  of  truth.  As  a  supporter  of  the  denomination  of  Universalists,  I 
am  proud  of  the  work.  Every  Universalist  in  the  State  —  every  one  in 
the  Nation,  I  should  say— ought  to  be  in  possession  of  it.  The  very 
nature  of  the  subject  renders  it  somewhat  more  interesting  than  the 
"Ancient  History"  by  Mr.  Ballou;   because  all   histories  grow  more 


20  INTRODUCTION, 

interesting,  though  written  by  the  same  author,  as  they  approach  our 
own  age.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Ballou's  work  occupies  a  very  essential 
place  in  the  inquiries  of  the  man  who  is  bent  on  useful  knowledge,  touch- 
ing the  true  religion  of  our  Great  Master  in  the  works  of  benevolence. 
Mr.  Ballou,  no  less  than  Mr.  Whittemore,  deserves  richly  the  patronage 
and  thanks  of  his  fellows.  Their  works  should  go  together  on  every 
man's  shelf.  They  have  in  all  things  the  natural  alliance  of  the  Siamese 
twins.  At  any  rate,  I  hope  all  our  Universalist  friends  in  this  region 
will  now  improve  the  means  thus  famished  them  of  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  antiquity,  rise,  growth,  and  merits  of  the  doctrine  of  glad  tidings 
and  great  joy.  They  can  satisfy  themselves  thus,  and  their  opponents 
too,  by  consulting  the  two  works  named,  that  Universalism  is  not  "  a 
damnable  heresy"  of  modern  invention  —  the  offspring  of  modern 
scepticism  —  but  an  embodied  system  of  morals,  and  well  grounded  hopes 
of  bliss  in  a  future  state,  that  has  descended  to  us  through  nearly  two 
thousand  years,  in  despite  of  persecution,  superstition,  and  the  sinister 
machinations  of  Popes  and  Princes. ' ' 

The  editor  of  the  Religious  Inquirer,  published  at  the 
time  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  employed  the  following  terms: — 

"  We  can  hardly  find  language  to  express  the  satisfaction  we  have 
derived  from  the  perusal  of  this  work;  and,  judging  for  ourselves,  we 
should  say,  no  Universalist,  nor  even  any  candid  inquirer  after  truth, 
would  suffer  himself  to  be  without  it  on  any  consideration,  if  he  were 
possibly  able  to  buy  it.  It  embraces  4G0  duodecimo  pages.  It  is  written 
in  a  clear,  chaste,  and  forcible  style,  marked  with  great  candor  and 
impartiality,  and,  like  the  Ancient  History,  free  from  all  undue  bias  to 
promote  the  cause  of  Universalism  at  the  expense  of  truth ;  being  a  plain 
narrative  of  transactions  and  events  connected  with  the  progress  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Restitution  in  the  different  countries  of  Europe,  and  in  the 
United  States,  from  the  period  at  which  it  was  left  by  the  Ancient  History, 
to  the  13 resent  time;  including  sketches  of  the  eminent  men  who  have 
publicly  advocated  the  doctrine,  and  tliose  who  have  opposed  it,  together 
with  the  various  opinions  on  other  points,  which  its  adherents  main- 
tained, though  agreeing  in  the  main  question,  and  the  different  arguments 
which  they  employed  to  defend  it,  as  also  the  diversified  measures  which 
were  resorted  to,  to  resist  its  spread  and  promulgation." 

The  Rev.  Stephen  R.  Smith,  at  that  time,  and  for  a  long 
time  afterwards,  one  of  the  principal  Universalist  clergy- 
men in  the  State  of  New  York,  published  the  following 
notice  of  the  work  : — 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

"  This  work  has  been  published  since  the  commencement  of  the  current 
year ;  and  we  are  happy  in  the  conviction  that  it  is  all  the  public  had  a 
right  to  expect.  The  materials  have  been  collected  with  great  care  and 
industry  —  the  facts  are  stated  with  candor  —  and  the  remarks  and  in- 
ferences are  pertinent  and  proper. 

****** 

"  Most  of  the  facts  in  relation  to  Universalism  in  America,  as  they  are 
of  recent  occurrence,  will  be  more  or  less  familiar  to  the  believers  in  that 
doctrine  —  but  this  circumstance  will  by  no  means  lessen  their  interest 
They  will  feel  themselves  immediately  interested  in  the  scenes  of  suffering 
and  reproach  —  not  to  say  persecution,  which  too  often  marked  the  foot- 
steps of  the  first  propagators  and  professors  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
Restitution ;  and  they  will  look  around  with  complacency  upon  a  new 
order  of  things,  which  has  resulted  from  its  progress  and  permanent 
establishment. 

"  The  great  majority  of  Universalists  are  little  acquainted  with  the  fact, 
that  in  many  parts  of  Europe,  especially  in  England  and  Germany,  there 
have  been  many  fellow-believers  at  all  times  since  the  Reformation.  And 
they  will  learn,  with  great  satisfaction,  from  unquestionable  sources,  that 
not  only  some,  but  many  of  the  great  luminaries  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land, as  well  as  a  very  respectable  number  of  very  distinguished  laymen, 
were  the  firm  and  fearless  advocates  of  the  salvation  of  all  men.  These 
and  other  facta  should  be  more  fully  known,  both  to  Universalists  and 
their  opposers;  and  they  are  now  within  the  reach  of  all." 

Plan  of  First  Edition  of  the  Modern  History. 

The  point  at  which  the  work  commenced  was  the  epoch 
of  the  Reformation.  It  was  divided  into  eleven  chapters 
or  books. 

I.  Chapter  first  was  devoted  to  an  account  of  the  Ana- 
baptists in  Germany,  who  defended  the  doctrine  of  the 
final  happiness  of  all  men  at  that  time. 

II.  Chapter  second  covered  the  principal  part  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  was  devoted  to  the  first  gleamings 
of  Universalism  in  England,  after  the  beginning  of  the 
Eeformation  ;  and  a  brief  history  of  that  great  event  was 
given,  showing  how  the  principles  avowed  by  Luther  in 
Germany,  and  by  Wickliffe,  Cranmer,  Coverdale,  and 
others   in  England,  led  to  the  discovery  and  avowal  of 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

Universalism.  Special  pains  were  taken  to  show  the 
manner  in  which  the  early  English  Universalists  were 
treated  after  the  Protestants  got  into  power,  under  the 
reign  of  Henry  VIII.,  Edward  VI.,  and  afterwards  under 
Mary  and  Elizabeth. 

III.  In  chapter  third,  reaching  from  A.D.,  1560,  to 
It 00,  the  history  of  Universalism  in  England  was  con- 
tinued. Elizabeth  was  succeeded  by  James  I.,  and  after 
him  Charles  I.,  who  was  dethroned  and  beheaded.  Under 
Cromwell  there  was  a  general  toleration.  Jeremy  White, 
one  of  his  chaplains,  was  a  Universalist ;  but  there  were 
severe  contests  between  the  different  sects  that  arose, 
especially  between  the  Presbyterians  and  Independents. 
The  former,  in  their  zeal  to  crush  out  all  heresies,  passed 
one  of  the  most  cruel  statutes  by  Act  of  Parliament  that 
ever  disgraced  any  civilized  country,  some  parts  of  which 
were  directly  aimed  against  the  Universalists  of  that  day 
and  country. 

IV.  Chapter  fourth,  like  the  third,  was  a  continuation 
of  the  history  of  Universalism  in  England,  and  traced 
the  spread  of  that  doctrine  in  that  country  from  about 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century  (1650)  to  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  (1T50).  Here  we  find  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  misery  doubted,  or  the  doctrine  of  the 
final  happiness  of  all  men  advanced  by  eminent  scholars 
and  divines,  among  whom  may  be  named  Dr.  Henry  More, 
Archbishop  Tillotson,  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet,  William  Whis- 
ton,  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Dr.  Samuel  Clark,  Dr.  George 
Cheyne,  Chevalier  Kamsay  and  others.  Thus  we  see 
that  the  first  chapter  of  the  book  treated  of  Universalism 
in  Germany,  where  it  first  broke  out  at  the  time   of  the 


INTEODUCTION.  23 

Reformation,  and  which,  therefore,  ought  to  have  taken 
precedence  in  point  of  time  of  all  other  matter  in  the 
volume.  The  history  of  Universalism  in  England  com- 
menced with  the  second  chapter,  and  continued  to  the 
end  of  the  fourth. 

V.  Here  it  seemed  necessaiy  to  return  to  Universalism 
in  Germany,  the  history  of  which  was  resumed  at  the 
beginning  of  the  fifth  chapter,  and  was  finished,  so  far  as 
we  could  then  perfect  it ;  and  as  we  had  there  taken 
up  the  history  on  Continental  Europe,  we  went  on  and 
finished  it  (so  far  as  we  could),  by  giving  all  the  facts 
we  then  knew  as  to  the  spread  of  Universalism  in  Hol- 
land, Switzerland,  France,  Prussia,  Italy,  Ireland,  Scot- 
land, and  thus  ended  the  fifth  chapter ;  and  the  history 
of  Universalism  in  Europe  was  there  finished,  except  in 
England,  which  had  been  left  unconcluded  at  the  end  of 
the  fourth  chapter. 

VI,  Universalism  in  England  reopened  with  the  sixth 
chapter,  in  which  the  history  was  continued  from  about 
1T50  to  nearly  the  time  when  the  work  was  written.  Here 
some  of  the  best  theologians  and  finest  scholars  of 
England  were  proved  to  have  been  Universalists.  .  The 
editor  of  the  Analyiical  Review,  speaking  of  this  era, 
said  : — 

"  The  doctrine  of  the  final  happiness  of  mankind,  -which  presents  the 
prospect  of  the  termination  of  all  evil,  and  of  a  period  in  which  the 
deep  shades  of  misery  and  guilt  which  have  so  long  enveloped  the  uni- 
verse, shall  be  forever  dispelled,  is  so  pleasing  a  speculation  to  a 
benevolent  mind,  that  we  do  not  wonder  it  meets  with  so  many  advocates. 
From  the  earliest  period,  we  doubt  not  the  belief  of  it  has  been  secretly 
entertained  by  many,  who,  in  the  face  of  opposition  and  danger,  had  not 
resolution  to  avow  it.  Now,  however,  it  has  broke  through  every 
restraint,  and  walks  abroad  in  every  form  that  is  adapted  to  convince  the 
philosophic,  to  rouse  the  unthinking,  and  to  melt  the  tender." 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

VII.  After  this  the  history  of  Universalists  as  a  distinct 
sect  in  England  commenced,  which  formed  the  subject  of 
the  seventh  chapter.  Here  we  gave  accounts  of  Kelly, 
Murray,  Winchester,  Vidler,  Scarlett,  Kichard  Wright, 
and  others,  whose  names  were  connected  very  intimately 
with  the  history  of  Universalism  in  that  country. 

VIII.  With  chapter  eighth  commenced  the  history  of 
Universalism  in  America.  This  is  the  opening  of  the 
matter  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  First  of  all  was  felt 
in  this  country  the  influence  of  the  meek  and  pious  Ger- 
man Anabaptists.  They  fled  from  persecution  in  the  old 
world,  and  came,  like  the  pilgrim  fathers,  to  the  wilder- 
nesses of  America,  in  search  of  "  freedom  to  worship 
God."  Not  only  among  them,  but  among  the  Episco- 
palians also,  we  found  early  traces  of  the  doctrine  of 
Universalism  in  the  new  country.  It  loomed  up  in  the 
theological  firmament  like  the  aurora  borealis.  At  length 
arose  Adam  Streeter,  Caleb  Kich,  John  Murray,  and 
others  ;  and  the  sect  of  the  American  Universalists  be- 
came established. 

IX.  In  chapter  nine  was  brought  up  the  history  of 
American  Universalism  from  the  conversion  of  Elhanan 
Winchester  to  the  formation  of  the  General  Convention 
in  1T85. 

X.  This  chapter  contained  an  account  of  the  rise  of 
the  General  Convention  of  Universalists,  which  exercised 
a  wide  influence  in  its  original  form  for  nearly  fifty 
years,  and  which  was  modified  in  1833  into  the  present 
U.  S.  Convention  of  Universalists. 

XI.  This  chapter  (which  was  the  last  in  the  volume) 
contained    sketches    of   the    rise  of   Universalism  in  the 


mTRODDCTION.  26 

several  States  then  in  existence,  with  its  condition  and 
prospects  in  1830  ;  also  an  account  of  the  changes  of 
opinion  which  had  taken  place  among  Universalists,  and 
the  opinions  that  were  prevalent  among  them  at  that 
date. 

Such  was  the  plan  of  the  Modern  History,  in  the  first 
edition.  In  the  new  edition,  there  are  a  great  number  of 
new  facts  to  come  in,  touching  the  history  of  Universal- 
ism  in  Continental  Europe,  the  British  Islands,  and  the 
United  States. 

The  publication  of  the  histories  of  Universalism  gave 
an  impulse  to  many  persons  to  bring  out  additional  facts 
that  belonged  to  the  general  subject,  and  from  time  to 
time  these  were  published  in  the  Universalist  periodicals. 
Among  the  Universalist  clergy,  who  early  took  a  very 
deep  interest  in  aiding  these  researches,  were  Revs. 
Lucius  R.  Paige,  Thomas  J.  Sawyer,  D.D.,  A.  C.  Thomas, 
A.  B.  Grosh,  T.  B.  Thayer,  and  others.  Dr.  Sawyer  en- 
tered the  Universalist  ministry  about  the  time  the  Modern 
History  was  published.  He  had  been  educated  at  the 
College  in  Middlebury,  Vt.,  and  was  ordained  at  the 
General  Convention,  in  Winchester,  N.  H.,  in  September, 
1829.  From  his  earliest  connection  with  our  denomina- 
tion, he  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  perfecting  the 
history  of  our  faith.  It  was  at  his  suggestion  that  the 
Universalist  Historical  Society  was  formed  in  the  year 
1834,  during  the  meeting  of  the  General  Convention  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.  The  object  of  this  Society  was  to  seek 
out  and  preserve  all  facts,  books,  papers,  manuscripts, 
and,  in  a  word,  everything  tending  to  throw  light  on  the 
history  of  Universalism  in  the  United  States  and  the 
3 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

world.  It  was  determined  the  meetings  should  be  holden 
annually  at  the  same  time  and  place  with  those  of  the 
Convention,  and  this  practice  was  kept  up  for  several 
years.  Among  the  benefits  of  this  Society  was  the 
establishment  of  the  Universalist  Historical  Library,  con- 
sisting of  books  on  Universalism  pro  et  contra,  designed 
to  furnish  the  facts  for  a  full  history. 

Beneficial  Effect  of  the  Historical  Society. 
Of  the  beneficial  effect  of  the  Historical  Society,  and 
of  the  advance  which  had  been  made  in  the  collection 
of  a  library,  Dr.  Sawyer  spoke  in  the  following  terms  in 
his  Ninth  Annual  Report,  made  at  the  session  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  in  September,  1844 : — 

"  At  the  time  this  Society  was  instituted,  the  history  of  Universalism 
had  but  just  begun  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  denomination.  The 
Ancient  History  of  Universalism,  by  Rev.  Hosea  Ballou  2d.  was  published 
in  1828,  [1829],  and  the  Modern  History,  by  Rev.  Thomas  Whittemore,  in 
1830.  To  these  brethren  undoubtedly  belongs  the  honor  of  having  first 
excited  an  interest  in  the  history  of  our  distinctive  doctrine.  Of  their 
labors  it  is  difficult  to  speak  in  terms  of  two  high  praise.  Their  works  are 
certamly  volumes  of  rare  merit.  For  patient  industry  and  research,  for 
extent  and  accuracy  of  information,  for  general  interest  and  value,  they 
stand  among  the  best  works  that  have  issued  from  the  Universalist  press 
in  this  country. 

"  In  the  department  of  ancient  history,  nothing  worthy  of  notice  has 
been  done  since  the  i^ublication  of  Mr.  Ballou's  excellent  work;  nor 
should  I  err,  iJerhajas,  were  I  to  say  that  little  is  to  be  soon  expected, 
unless  he  should  be  pleased  to  renew  his  labors,  and  perfect  what  he  has 
already  so  well  done.  The  field,  you  know,  lies  beyond  the  reading  of 
most  of  our  brethren,  requires  a  peculiar  cultivation  in  him  who  attempts 
to  cultivate  it,  and,  whatever  may  be  one's  taste  for  such  studies,  can 
hardly  be  expected  to  bring  one  any  pecuniary  recompense  for  his  labors 
Besides,  the  authentic  sources  of  information,  owing  to  the  scarcity  and 
high  price  of  the  writings  of  the  Fathers,  so  called,  are  quite  inaccessible 
to  all  except  siich  as  chance  to  reside  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
large  libraries.  From  the  well  known  and  characteristic  patience  and 
thoroughness  of  Mr.  Ballou,  he  who  follows  him  in  whatever  department 
of  literary  labor,  follows  only  as  a  gleaner;  the  harvest  has  been 
gathered  before  him.    There  is  an  unpromising  period,  however,  lying 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

between  the  final  condemnation  of  Universalism,  A.D.  553,  and  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Reformation  by  Martin  Luther,  which  is  passed  over 
very  cursorily  by  Mi*.  Ballou,  in  a  brief  Appendix,  and  which  I  cannot 
but  hope  may  yet  furnish  more  ample  materials  for  our  history ;  though 
we  must  all  be  satisfied  that  the  dark  ages  were  little  suited,  in  any 
single  respect,  to  foster  either  the  abstract  truth,  or  the  spirit  of  Uni- 
versalism. 

"  Great  praise  is  due  to  Mr.  Whittemore,  also,  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  executed  his  task  in  the  preparation  of  the  Modern  History  of 
Universalism.  Thougli  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  it  is  less  complete 
than  the  Ancient  History,  or  perhaj^s,  I  should  say,  its  defects  are  more 
easily  discovered,  it  is  still  a  noble  monument  of  its  author's  industry 
and  research.  In  this  deiJartment  of  our  history,  the  sources  of  informa- 
tion were  much  more  numerous,  and  lay  scattered  more  widely.  It 
could  not  be  expected,  therefore,  that  they  should  all  be  gathered  up. 
When  I  consider  the  time  when  it  was  written,  and  the  very  little  atten- 
tion that  had  then  been  paid  to  the  subject,  I  cannot  but  regard  the 
Modern  History  as  remarkable  for  the  variety  and  general  accuracy  of 
its  information ;  and  I  am  frank  to  confess  that  I  am  more  and  more 
astonished  at  its  merits,  as  I  am  better  and  better  qiialified  to  judge  of 
its  value,  and  to  ai^pi-eciate  the  labor  and  difficulty  of  its  preparation. 

"  But  notwithstanding  the  excellence  of  these  histories  of  Universalism, 
there  were  considerations  of  utility,  if  not  of  necessity,  sufficient  to 
justify  the  organization  of  the  Historical  Society.  Though  every  thing 
had  been  done  in  the  past  that  was  capable  of  being  done,  stUl  there  was 
enough  in  the  field  of  history  to  engage  our  attention  and  reward  our 
industry.  There  was  a  useful  and  needed  work  to  be  performed  in 
getting  up  and  carefully  preserving  the  original  sources  of  our  current 
history.  For  insignificant  as  the  denomination  of  Universalists  may 
now  appear  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  it  is  not  to  be  doubted  that  the 
time  is  coming  when  it  wUl  occupy  in  this  country,  and  throughout  all 
Christendom,  a  mucli  more  commanding  position,  and  men  will  ask 
for  the  beginning  of  what  they  shall  then  see,  and  love  to  read  the  story 
of  our  present  struggles  and  victories.  It  was  also  an  object  of  no 
small  imi^ortance  in  the  organization  of  this  Society  to  open  a  cor- 
respondence with  brethren  of  like  precious  faith ,  and  others  who  sympa- 
thized with  us,  in  different  parts  of  the  Christian  world,  and  thus 
encourage  our  own  hearts,  and  quicken  our  zeal  amidst  the  opposition, 
difficulties,  and  trials,  which  we  are  destined  to  meet  in  the  good  work 
before  us. 

"  If  it  be  now  asked  what  progress  the  Society  has  made  towards  the 
attainment  of  its  aims  and  objects,  I  shall  answer  that  it  has  opened  a 
correspondence  with  the  Universalists  and  Unitarians  of  Great  Britain, 
Scotland,  and  Ireland,  and  with  the  Lutherans  of  Germany,  who  enter- 
tain the  faith  and  hope  of  universal  salvation.  It  has  widened  materially 
our  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  Universalism  in  all  these  countries, 


28  INTRODUCTION. 

especially  in  Germany,  that  cradle  of  the  Reformation,  that  land  of 
theological  literature  and  science.  It  has  also  gathered  up  scattered 
notices  of  Universalism  in  France,  Switzerland,  Sweden,  and  Russia. 

"  But  the  greater  part  of  our  labors  has  been  directed  to  the  collection 
of  a  library,  which  shall  contain  all  the  materials  for  a  complete  history 
of  our  faith.  In  this  field  it  has  succeeded  quite  as  well  as,  under  the 
circumstances,  could  have  been  anticipated.  Few  of  the  members  of 
the  Society  have  taken  any  active  interest  in  it,  or  in  any  way  accelerated 
its  progress.  Few  even  of  our  corresponding  secretaries  in  the  United 
States,  have  ever  contributed  in  any  manner  to  the  interests  of  the 
Society.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Thom,  of  Liverpool,  one  of  our  corresponding 
secretaries  for  England,  has,  in  this  respect,  done  more  than  all  those  in 
the  United  States  put  together.  In  forwarding  books,  and  in  com- 
municating all  the  information  in  his  power  of  the  condition  of  Univer- 
salism in  Great  Britain,  his  services  have  been  Invaluable,  and  are 
mentioned  with  the  warmest  gratitude.  Had  all  our  corresponding 
secretaries  manifested  an  equal  zeal,  it  is  impossible  to  say  to  what  state 
the  interests  of  the  Society  might  have  now  been  advanced^  To  several 
of  our  i^ublishers  and  individual  brethren  and  friends,  we  are  indebted 
for  a  uniform  kindness  and  consideration,  which  have  contributed 
materially  to  the  Society's  welfare,  and  especially  to  its  library,  about 
200  volumes  of  which  have  been  the  fruit  of  their  generosity.  The  whole 
amount  of  money  received  and  expended  for  books,  and  binding  books, 
will  probably  amount  to  about  $380  00  and  with  this  small  sum,  so 
economical  have  been  our  operations,  that  over  400  volumes  have  been 
purchased,  and  far  the  greater  part  of  them  imported  from  England, 
France,  and  Germany,  and  nearly  a  hundred  volumes  bound  at  the 
Society's  expense  for  their  better  preservation.  The  whole  number  of 
volumes  now  in  the  Library  is  nearly  600;  and  I  hazard  nothing  in 
saying  that,  as  a  Universalist  Library,  it  has  no  rival  in  this  country  or 
the  world.  Still  it  is  very  incomplete.  If  we  except  the  New  Testament, 
the  works  of  the  Apostolic  Fathers,  and  sixteen  volumes  of  a  beautiful 
edition  of  the  works  of  Origen,  now  in  course  of  jDublication  at  Leipsic, 
we  have  literally  nothing  belonging  to  the  ancient  history  of  Universalism. 
And  yet  I  need  not  say  that  the  works  of  many  of  the  ancient  Fathers 
are  a  desideratum  in  our  Library.  The  scantiness  of  our  funds,  and  the 
expense  of  good  editions  of  this  kind  of  works,  has  forbidden  the  purchase 
of  any  of  them,  except  those  just  named.  I  would  now  suggest,  how- 
ever, whether  some  method  might  not  be  adopted  by  which  whatever 
belongs  to  this  department  of  the  history  of  Universalism,  may  be  soon 
placed  in  the  Society's  Library.  If  the  members  would  contribute 
annually,  but  a  single  dollar  each,  for  this  noble  purpose,  it  would  soon 
accomplish  all  that  is  essential,  if  not  indeed  all  that  is  desirable  in  this 
department.  Perhaps  some  of  our  more  able  friends  will  follow  the 
example  of  a  zealous  Universalist  in  New  York,  who  has  generously 
offei-ed  the  sum  of  twenty-five  dollars  for  purchasing  any  work  of  that 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

value,  ■which  he  may  have  the  honor  of  presenting  to  the  Society.  If  a 
few  gentlemen  'woulJ  subscribe  a  like,  or  a  much  inferior  sum,  to  be 
disposed  of  in  like  manner,  they  would  enjoy  the  consciousness  of  con- 
tributing largely  to  the  objects  of  the  Society,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
pei'petuate  their  names  among  those  of  its  most  munificent  donors. 

"  In  the  department  of  modern  history  is  found,  at  the  present  time, 
our  whole  Library;  and  though  very  far  from  being  complete  here,  it  is 
Btill  enriched  by  many  rare  and  valuable  works,  besides  embracing 
almost  all  more  commonly  met  with.  Among  those  distinguished  by 
their  age  and  other  circumstances,  I  must  be  permitted  to  mention  the 
\rorks  of  those  early  English  Universalists,  Gerard  AVinstanley,  William 
Erbury,  and  Richard  Copijiu,  which  I  now  congratulate  the  Society  on 
possessing.  These  worthies  were  all  contemporary,  and  flourished  about 
the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Winstanlcy 's  woi'ks  were  published 
in  1648,  Coppin's  in  1656,  and  Erbury's  in  16.58.  Jeremy  White,  the 
•well  known  author  of  "  The  Restitution  of  All  Things,"  and  Dr.  Rust, 
Bishop  of  Dromore,  lived  at  the  same  time,  though  their  writings  date 
somewhat  later;  Rust's  "Letter  of  Resolution  concerning  Origen  and 
the  chief  of  his  Opinions"  having  been  published  1661,  and  the  "  Restitu- 
tion of  All  Things"  not  till  after  White's  death  in  1707.  These  are, 
undoubtedly,  the  earliest  works  of  any  importance  in  favor  of  Universal- 
ism  in  England.  Of  such  as  have  appeared  at  a  more  recent  date  we  have 
a  respectable  share,  but  our  list  of  known  books,  in  which  the  doctrine  of 
Universalism  is  advanced,  is  by  no  means  complete,  and  almost  every  new 
volume  makes  us  acciuainted  with  some  other  of  which  we  had  before  been 
ignorant.  Already  we  have  added  considerably  to  the  list  of  Universalist 
authors  named  by  Mr.  Whittemore,  and  I  doubt  not  that  many  are  still 
unknown. 

In  the  department  of  German  Universalism  a  very  good  beginning  has 
been  made,  and  we  have  the  works  of  Petersen,  [2  vols.  fol.  the  3d  is 
wanting,]  Basedow,  Stienbart,  Gruner,  Doederlin,  Reinhard,  Nemeyer, 
Jung  Stilling,  Von  Coelin,  Von  Amnion,  Tholuck,  Credner,  &c.  &c., 
which  are  suflicient  to  give  us  a  very  tolerable  view  of  German  Universal- 
ism, both  Evangelical  and  Rationalists.  Still  I  must  say  that  we  are  yet 
destitute  of  a  multitude  of  German  works  relating  to  Universalism  ;  in- 
deed, volumes  enough  respecting  the  salvation  of  all  men,  on  one  side  or 
the  other,  have  appeared  in  that  country  since  the  Reformation,  to  make 
a  very  respectable  library. 

In  what  Sense  I  use  the  word  Universalist. 

Throughout  this  work  I  shall  use  the  word  "  Universalist" 

in  the  same   sense  in  which  it  has  always  been  used  in  this 

country,  since  John  Murray  landed   on  the  shores  of  New 

Jersey,  viz  .:  to  signify  a  person  who  believes  in  the  event- 


30  INTRODUCTION. 

ual  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  the  human  race,  whatever 
may  have  been  his  opinion  on  minor  topics.  He  may  have 
been  a  believer  in  the  unity,  or  trinity  of  the  Godhead  ;  he 
may  have  believed,  like  Elhanan  Winchester,  in  a  very  long 
disciplinary  punishment  beyond  the  grave,  all  intended  for 
good  ;  or  he  may  have  held  with  Hosea  Ballou,  that  "  the 
Scriptures  begin  and  end  the  history  of  sin  in  flesh  and 
blood,  and  that  beyond  this  mortal  existence  the  Bible 
teaches  no  other  sentieit  state,  but  that  which  is  called  by 
the  blessed  name  of  life  and  immortality;  "  or  he  may  have 
held  any  view  on  any  minor  topic  ;  but  if  he  believed  in 
the  final  salvation  of  all  men,  in  God's  time  and  God's  way, 
he  will  be  considered  under  our  rule  a  Universalist.  I  shall 
not  claim  any  man  as  a  Universalist  who  did  not  mean  to 
be  understood  as  advocating  the  final  holiness  and  happi- 
ness of  all  men.  Others  may  be  mentioned,  but  they  will 
not  be  ranked  as  Universalists.  I  do  not  mean  that  all 
whom  I  shall  mention  in  this  work  as  Universalists,  called 
themselves  by  that  name.  I  am  quite  sure  that  some  of 
them  never  thought  of  doing  so.  In  fact,  some  of  them 
perhaps,  never  heard  the  name  used  as  designating  a  body 
of  Christians.  My  effort  will  be  to  write  the  history,  not 
merely  of  the  distinct  people  called  Universalists,  but  also 
of  the  great  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  and  happiness 
of  all  men ;  and  many  men  who  never  bore  the  name 
Universalist,  believed  that  doctrine.  Some  of  the  greatest 
luminaries  of  the  Christian  Church  have  believed  it.  Til- 
lotson.  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  is  thought  to  have  un- 
dermined the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  ;  Dr.  Thomas 
Burnet,  certainly  defended  Universalism  ;  Wm.  Whiston, 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  and  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke,  expressed  their 
3 


INTRODUCTION.  31 

doubts   as  to   the  truth    of  the   opposite   doctrine  ;  Dr. 
George  Cheyne  embraced  Universalism,  as  did  the  Chevalier 
Eamsay.     Many  eminent  men  in  Germany,  both  among  the 
Rationalists  and  Evangelicals,  adopted  it ;    Episcopius,  in 
Holland,  early  threw  doubts  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  end- 
lessness of  punishment,  as   did  also  the  learned  and  well 
known  John  Le  Clerc.     In  fact,  there  is  scarcely  a  country 
in  Europe,  in  which  the  doctrine  of  final  universal  happiness 
has  not  been  received  more  or  less,  by  men  who  were  bright 
■  and  shining  lights  in  their  day      But  it  will  be  our  duty  to 
trace  the  doctrine  not  only  among  the  great,  the  learned, 
the   eminent,  we  must  show  also  how  it  prevailed  among 
those  who  were   more  humble,  but  not  the  less  honest,  or 
pious  in  their  researches  after  divine  truth,  or  in  their  eflbrts 
to  spread  the  knowledge  of  Christianity  among  mankind. 
"  Christianity"  (said  one  of  the  English  reviewers,)  "is  a 
religion  for  the  masses,  and  we  demur  to  a  professed   his- 
tory of  Christianity  which  leaves  its  effects  upon  the  masses 
untold.     We  woul'd   learn  how,  in  other  times  and  among 
other  people,    the   religion   with   whose   ordinary   effects 
among  ourselves  we  are  conversant,  has  been  received,  and 
has  operated  among  the   community  at  large.     We  would 
know  what  it  has  done  for  the  peasant  in  his  cottage,  for 
the  artificer  at   his  loom,  for  the  matron  amid  her  children, 
as   well  as  what  it   has    achieved  or  suffered  in  palaces, 
cathedrals  and  colleges.     We  would  gaze  on  the  stream  as 
it  steals  through  the  green  fields  and  by  the  happy  homes 
of  poor  men,  as  well  as  w^en  it  dashes  down  the  rocky  fall, 
or  expands  in  artificial   beauty  in  the    lordly  park.     We 
would,  in  short,  have  the  historian  of  Christ's  religion  to 
remember,  that  it  is  part  of  his  proper  province  to  chronicle 


32  INTRODUCTION. 

the  effects  and  manifestations  of  that  religU)n,  not  only 
among  the  few  noble  and  mighty  and  wise  by  whom  it  is 
embraced,  but  as  they  appear  in  those  retired  scenes  of 
domestic  life  where  Christ  himself  delighted  to  be,  and 
amongst  that  class  of  the  community  who,  in  the  days  of 
his  flesh,  were  the  first  and  readiest  to  '  hear  him  gladly.'  " 


MODEM  HISTORY  OF  TOIVERSALISM. 


THE 


MODEM  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM. 


BOOK    I. 


THE  REFORMATION  :  RISE,  CONDEMNATION  AND  DISPERSION  OF 
THE  ANABAPTISTS  IN  GERMANY. 

[From  A.  D.   1500   to  1550.] 

History  of  Universalism  divides  at  the  Reformation ;  Influence  of  Luther ; 
A  retrospective  view  of  noble  spirits;  Corruptions  of  the  Catholic 
church;  How  the  event  of  tlie  Reformation  is  connected  with  the  history 
of  Universalism ;  Causes  that  led  to  the  Reformation;  Principles  on 
which  the  Reformation  was  founded ;  Luther  somewhat  doubtful  on  the 
doctrine  of  endless  punishment;  These  principles  gave  rise  to  many  new 
Sects;  Some  account  of  these  Sects;  Rise  of  the  Anabaptists;  Universal- 
ism prevailed  among  them;  Denkius,  Hetzer,  and  Pannonius;  Condem- 
nation of  the  Anabaptists;  Sect  of  the  Liberals;  Account  of  David 
George;  Excitement  against  the  Anabaptists ;  They  suffered  not  solely 
for  believing  in  Universalism. 

DIVISION    OF    HISTORY   INTO    ANCIENT    AND    MODERN. 

I.  The  history  of  Universalism  is  divided,  for  convenience 
of  arrangement,  into  the  Ancient  and  Modern.  That  doc- 
trine had  been  defended  by  some  of  the  most  eminent  of 
the  Christian  fathers.  It  was  not  regarded  as  a  heresy  in 
the  Church,  until  nearly  four  hundred  years  after  the  death 
of  Christ,  nor  was  it  formally  condemned  by  the  highest 
ecclesiastical  authority  until  the  meeting  of  the  Fifth  Geu- 

35 


36  MODEEN  HISTORY  [Book  I. 

eral  Council,  A.  D.,  553.^  During  the  dark  ages  we  catch 
occasional  glimpses  of  it  amid  the  general  gloom  ;  but  at 
the  Reformation  it  began  to  glow  again,  and  from  that  time 
has  shined  with  a  steadily  increasing  light.  The  Ancient 
History  treats  of  the  progress  of  the  doctrine  from  the  days 
of  the  Apostles,  to  the  Reformation ;  the  Modern  from  that 
epoch  onward  to  our  time. 

THE    REFORMATION    AND    THE    RETROSPECT. 

II.  Let  us  suppose  ourselves  living  at  the  Reformation, 
and  take  our  stand  at  some  prominent  point  in  Germany. 
We  hear  the  voice  of  Luther  ringing  on  the  air,  "  down  with 
indulgencies  ;  an  end  to  all  clerical  frauds  and  usurpations; 
freedom  to  think ;  freedom  to  investigate  ;  freedom  to 
speak  ;  freedom  to  worship  God  I "  We  see  the  great  body 
of  the  people  moved  by  the  boldness  and  the  opinions  of 
the  Reformer.  He  sets  the  power  of  the  Pope  at  defiance  ; 
he  burns  the  pontifical  decree  declaring  it  to  be  the  exe- 
crable bull  of  antichrist.  No  wonder  that  new  opinions 
sprung  up  every  where,  some  of  them  wild  and  extravagant, 
and  such  as  the  leading  reformers  themselves  could  not 
approve  ;  some  of  them  founded  in  truth,  and  in  a  proper 
interpretation  of  the  word  of  God.  The  Catholic  church 
had  controlled  the  expression  of  opinion  for  ages.  The 
fire  of  truth  had  been  smothered,  but  not  extinguished. 
The  embers  were  living,  and  needed  but  free  air  to  cause 
them  to  glow  and  burn  with  new  ardor.  If  we  look  back 
into  the  ages,  we  see  the  doctrine  of  the  restoration  of  all 
things  condemned  by  the  Fifth  General  Council ;  and  then, 

^  The  following  was  the  decree,  "  Whoever  says,  or  thinks,  that  the  tor- 
ments of  the  demons  and  of  impious  men  are  temporal,  so  that  they  will, 
at  length,  come  to  an  end,  or  whoever  holds  a  restoi"ation  either  of  the 
demons  or  of  tlie  impious,  let  him  be  anathema.  Anathema  to  Origen 
Adamantius,  who  taught  these  things  among  his  detestable  and  accursed 
dogmas;  and  to  every  one  who  believes  those  tilings,  or  asserts  them,  or 
who  aliall  ever  dare  to  defend  them  in  any  part,  let  there  be  anathema:  In 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  to  whom  be  gloi'y  for  ever.  Amen."  Ancient 
Uiat.  of  Universalism,  2d  Ed.  p.  288. 


A.  D.  1500.]  OP  UNIVERSALISM.  37 

as  if  it  was  diflScult  to  extinguish  a  sentiment  so  reasonable, 
so  glorious,  we  see  it  condemned  through  successive  Coun- 
cils for  three  or  four  hundred  years.  "  Whoever  says,  or 
thinks,  that  the  torments  of  the  demons  and  of  impious  men 
are  temporal,  so  that  they  will  at  length  come  to  an  end,i 
or  whoever  holds  a  restoration,  either  of  the  demons  or  the 
impious,  let  him  be  anathema.  Anathema  to  Origen  Ada- 
mantius  who  taught  these  things  among  his  detestable  and 
accursed  dogmas,  and  to  every  one  who  believes  these 
things  and  reports  them." 

But  this  decree  could  not  kill  out  the  truth.  If  it  kept 
it  shut  up  in  men's  hearts,  it  only  made  the  heat  thereof 
the  greater.  We  see  the  descendants  of  the  ancient  Pau- 
licians  cherishing  many  opinions  contrary  to  the  doctrines 
of  the  Catholic  church,  and  opening  the  doors  of  heaven  to 
many,  who  by  the  Pope  and  the  Councils  were  ruled  out  of 
the  pale  of  grace.  The  Catholic  church  differed  from  the 
rest  of  Christendom,  in  severity,  in  restricting  the  number  of 
the  saved  to  a  few,  and  in  sentencing  all  who  differed  from 
her  faith  to  the  wrath  of  God  forever.  We  see  there  were 
noble  men,  in  different  ages,  stars  of  the  first  magnitude, 
among  the  constellations  of  free  spirits  who  could  not 
heartily  receive  the  dogmas  of  the  Church.  In  the  fifth 
century,  among  the  clergy  of  France,  Cassian,  Abbot  of 
Marseilles,  taught  the  doctrine,  that  while  human  nature  is 
corrupt,  and  needs  divine  grace  to  renew  and  make  it  holy, 
yet  all  without  exception  will  eventually  receive  that 
grace,  and  be  saved  by  its  purifying  power*'"  We  see 
Clement,  a  native  of  Ireland,  in  the  eighth  century,  denounc- 
ing the  decree  of  reprobation  to  endless  death  and  affirming 
that  all  the  damned  may  be  saved.''  We  see  J.  Scotus 
Erigena,  one  of  the  most  learned  of  the  ninth  century,  de- 
claring the  end  of  the   punishment  of  the  damned  and  the 

^Lives  of  the  Popes,  by  the  American  Sunday  School  Union,  part  i,  p  50, 
^Ancient  History  of  Umversalism,  p.  292. 


38  MODERN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

final  restoration  of  all  fallen  creatures.^  During  the  ninth 
and  tenth  centuries,  almost  total  darkness  in  divine  things 
settled  down  upon  Christendom.  Christ  had  been  so  little 
known,  loved,  and  obeyed  among  the  people,  it  might  have 
been  doubted  whether  there  was  any  Christian  church  ;  the 
clergy  were  corrupt  ;  the  Scriptures  were  shut  up  from  the 
people  ;  great  ignorance  prevailed  every  where  ;  religion 
was  supposed  to  consist  in  worshipping  saints  and  images  ; 
and  benevolence  to  the  poor  and  afflicted  was  little  known. 
Still  we  see  descendants  of  the  ancient  sects  called  heret- 
ical, cherishing  vestiges  of  divine  truth,  and  bearing  in 
their  bosoms  the  principles  of  the  Reformation.  We  see 
one  Raynold,  who  presided  over  the  monastery  of  St.  Mar- 
tin, in  France,  declaring  that  all  men  will  eventually  be 
saved.*  We  see  Amalric  or  Amauri,  an  eminent  professor 
of  logic  and  theology  at  Paris,  declaring  that  all  creatures 
will  in  the  end,  return  to  God,  and  be  converted  unto  him, 
and  that  God,  as  St.  Paul  affirmed,  would  be  all  in  all.*  In 
the  thirteenth  century,  we  see,  far  off  among  the  Eastern 
Christians,  Salomon,  metropolitan  bishop  of  Bassorah, 
inquiring  whether  the  demons  and  sinners  who  are  now  in 
hell,  shall  at  length  obtain  mercy,  after  having  sufiered 
their  appointed  punishment,  and  been  purified.*  We  see 
the  sect  of  the  Lollards  spread  through  Germany  in  the 
fourteenth  century,  who  denied  the  ceremonies  of  the  Cath- 
olic church,  denounced  her  exclusiveness  and  maintained 
that  the  damned,  and  even  the  evil  angels  should  one  day 
be  saved. ^  We  see  old  Tauler  of  Strasburg,  a  Dominican 
Monk,  of  whom  our  own  Whittier  hath  written  with  poetic 
fire,  declaring  that  all  creatures  exist  in  their  being  through 
the  same  birth  of  the  Son,  and  therefore  shall  they  all  come 
again  to  their  original,  that  is  God  the  Father,  through  the 
same  his  eternal  Son ;  ^  and  we  see  several  others  of  this 

»  Ancient  History  of  Universalism,  pp.  293  204.        ^  ijem,  p.  301. 
'Idem.  p.  303.        *  Idem,  p.  304        *  Idem,  pp.  305  306, 
*  liev.  Dr.  Sawyer  in  the  Ambassador. 


A.  D.  1500.]  OP  UNIVERSALISM.  39 

class.  The  opinions  of  the  men  we  have  named  influenced 
many  others.  Well  might  Dr.  Sawyer  say,  notwithstanding 
the  malediction  of  the  Catholic  church,  and  the  danger  of 
fire  and  faggot  with  which  she  threatened  all  who  dared  to 
receive  so  heretical  a  doctrine,  there  were  still  some  we 
know  who  espoused  this  blessed  faith,  and  found  joy  in  it. 
And  when  the  long  night  of  the  dark  ages  was  passing 
away,  and  a  brighter  day  was  beginning  to  dawn  on  the 
world,  there  were  many,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  who 
again  clearly  recognized  this  great  central  truth,  and  held 
it  forth  as  one  of  the  crowning  glories  of  the  moral  econo- 
my of  God.  During  the  century  or  two  previous  to  the 
time  of  Luther,  there  was  a  noble  band  of  noble  men,  who, 
while  in  various  ways  they  opposed  the  Pope  and  his  unhal- 
lowed pretensions,  consecrated  their  powers  and  their  lives 
to  the  promulgation  of  higher  spiritual  truth  than  the 
Church  at  large  recognized.  They  adhered  more  closely 
to  the  Bible,  and  its  divine  light  and  were  given  to  see 
what  others  saw  not. 

REFORMERS  BEFORE  THE  REFORMATION. 

III.  These  men  have  been  properly  called  Reformers 
before  the  Reformation.*  They  were  pioneers  in  that  great 
moral  movement,  and  although  little  known,  they  deserve  the 
admiration  and  the  gratitude  of  the  world.  Among  these 
stood  conspicuous  the  German  Mystics,  so  called,  and  the 
Brethren  of  the  Common  or  Familiar  life.  Some  of  these 
men  spoke  as  strongly  and  as  boldly  in  favor  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  against  the  usurpations  of  the  Pope  and 
the  corruptions  of  the  Church,  as  ever  did  Luther  or 
Zwingle.  '  I  despise  the  Pope,'  said  the  noble  John  Wes- 
sel,  in  a  sermon  at  W^ms,    nearly  a  century   before   the 

*See  the  work  "  Reformers  before  the  Reformation.  The  fifteenth  Cen- 
tury. John  Huss  and  the  Council  of  Constance,  By  Emile  de  Bonnechose, 
librarian  of  the  kin^  of  France.  Translated  from  the  French  by  Campbell 
Mackenzie,  B.  A.    New  York,  Harper  &  Briifthers. 


40  MODERN   HISTORY  [BookL 

Reformation,  '  I  despise  the  Pope,  and  the  Church,  and  the 
Councils,  and  I  praise  Christ.  May  the  word  of  Christ 
dwell  in  us  richly  ! '  It  is  well  known  how  industriously 
Luther  studied  the  '  German  Theology,'  as  it  is  called,  of 
John  Tauler,  and  how  much  instruction  he  derived  from  it. 
Spener  does  not  hesitate  to  say  that  it  was  from  this  work 
and  the  other  writings  of  Tauler,'  next  to  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, that  our  beloved  Luther  became  what  he  was.  In- 
deed, Luther  himself  tells  us  that  beside  the  Bible  and  St. 
Augustine,  he  had  met  no  book  from  which  he  had  learned 
more  'what  God,  Christ,  man  and  all  things  are.'  And 
speaking  of  John  Wessel,  another  of  these  worthies,  the 
great  Reformer  says,  '  Had  I  read  Wessel  before,  my  op- 
posers  might  have  said  that  Luther  had  taken  every  thing 
from  Wessel,  so  entirely  do  our  opinions  agree. "^ 

Dr.  Sawyer  further  says,  in  the  sermon  referred  to  : — 
"  There  is  no  doubt  that  a  considerable  school  of  Univer- 
salists  existed  during  the  century  previous  to  the  Reforma- 
tion, and  who  contributed  powerfully  in  various  ways  to 
that  important  event.  They  were  men  in  advance  of  their 
age,  men  with  broad.  Christian  views  and  withal  possessed 
of  a  rare  piety  and  moral  worth.  The  existence  of  these 
men  helps  us  to  explain  the  otherwise  remarkable  fact,  that 
TJniversalism  appeared  when  we  should  have  little  expected 
it,  in  the  very  dawn  of  the  Reformation." 

COERUPTION  OP  THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH. 

IV.  At  the  Reformation  the  throne  was  shaken  on  which 
the  Pope  swayed  his  sceptre  over  the  Christian  world,  and 
the  power  dared  which  he  had  long  exercised  without  re^st- 
ance.  From  small  beginnings,  by  effrontery,  assiduity  and 
art,  he  had  gained  that  height  of  grandeur  and  power,  at 
which  not   only  the  churches  and  clergy,  but  laymen  and 

^Dr.  T.  J.  Sawyer,  in  liis  sermon  at  Middletown,  Ct.,  before  the  General 
Convention  of  Universalists,  September,  1855. 


A.  D.  1500.]  OF   UNIVERSALISM.  41 

the  highest  civil  rulers  trembled.  The  Court  of  Rome  had 
always  used  its  power,  in  promoting  the  objects  of  its 
unrivalled  ambition,  in  suppressing  heresies,  and  in  visiting 
with  the  full  weight  of  its  displeasure  those  who  undertook 
the  hopeless  and  perilous  task  of  opposing  its  measures. 
But  it  pursued  so  long  and  zealously  its  oppressive  and 
wicked  course,  that  the  evil  wrought  its  own  cure.  The 
avarice  of  the  Court,  its  thirst  for  dominion,  its  reckless- 
ness of  right  and  propriety,  led  to  the  pursuit  of  such 
objects,  and  the  emploj^ment  of  such  means  as,  at  last, 
awoke  a  part  of  the  Christian  world  to  see  its  wide  depart- 
ure from  justice  and  truth,  its  ambition,  its  arrogance,  and 
its  presumption, 

REFORMATION    CONNECTED    WITH    HISTORY    OF    UNIVERSALISM. 

V.  The  event  of  the   Reformation   is  connected  with  the 
History  of  Universalism,  inasmuch  as  it  was  the  means  of 
setting  the  human  mind  at  liberty,  of  encouraging  the  love 
of  truth  and  free  inquiry,  and  thereby  of  bringing  many  to 
believe  in  the  eventual  salvation  of  the   whole   world.     It 
taught  men  that  they  possessed  the  right  of  private  judg- 
ment, and  exhorted  them  most  earnestly  to  exercise  it.     It 
pointed   out  the  fallibility  of  the  Pope  and  the  Church,  ex- 
posed their  errors  and  contradictions,  and  destroyed  in  many 
minds,  the  reverence  which  had  been  long  entertained  for 
their  decisions.     It  gave  to  the  people  the  Bible,  which,  by 
authority,  they   had   been  forbidden  to  use ;  and   having 
translated  it  into  the  vernacular  tongues  of  many  nations,  it 
encouraged  men  to  study  it  in  consideration  of  their  duty, 
their  happiness,  and  their  salvation.      These  advantages, 
and  this  advice,  seconded  by  the  desires  and  the  rising  zeal 
of  the  people,  gave  a  new  face  to  religion  in  Europe.     With 
the   authority  of  the   Catholic  church,  the  Reformers  re- 
nounced also  many  of  her  doctrinal  errors.     New   commu- 
4^ 


42  MODERN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

nities  of  Christians  arose,  distinct  frcm  her  in  their  doctrine 
and  discipline.^ 

CAUSES    WHICH    LED    TO    THE    REFORMATION. 

VI.  Although  the  honor  of  beginning  the  Reformation  has 
been  conferred  on  Martin  Luther,  yet  it  should  not  be  for- 
gotten, that  before  the  birth  of  that  eminent  Reformer 
there  were  various  causes  tending  to  produce  such  an  event 
which  afterward  greatly  accelerated  its  advancement. 

The  influence  of  the  Papal  authority  was  impaired  in  the 
fifteenth  century  by  the  three  contending  Pontiffs,  who 
each  laid  claim  to  the  right  of  governing  the  Church. 
Roaming  about  Europe,  they  fawned  on  the  princes  whom 
they  wished  to  gain  to  their  interest ;  extorted  large  sums 
of  money  from  the  countries  which  acknowledged  their 
authority ;  excommunicated  their  rivals,  and  fulminated 
curses  on  all  who  adhered  to  those  rivals.  By  such  meas- 
ures their  pretensions  to  infallibility  were  brought  into 
discredit ;  and  the  laity  saw,  in  some  measure,  the  neces- 
sity of  exercising  the  right  of  private  judgment.  The 
councils  of  Constance  and  Basil,  notwithstanding  the  for- 
mer brought  John  Huss  to  the  stake,  had  set  bounds  to 
the  power  of  the  Pope.^  The  former  declared  that  the 
Pontiff  was  inferior,  and  subject  to  the  decrees  of  a  general 
assembly  of  the  Church  ;  the  latter,  after  confirming  this 
resolution  of  its  sister  council,  carried  the  work  of  reforma- 
tion still  further,  and  gave  offence  to  the  Pope,  against 
whom  they  passed  sentence  for  attempting  to  dissolve 
them.*  The  profligate  manners  of  the  Popes  diminished 
their  authority  in  the  minds  of  reflecting  men.     In  private 

^Bishop  Burnet  says,  "  Upon  Luther's  first  preaching  in  Germany,  there 
arose  many,  who,  building  on  some  of  liis  principles,  carried  things  much 
farther  than  he  did.  The  cliief  foundation  he  laid  down  was,  that  the 
Scripture  was  to  be  the  only  rule  of  Christians. — History  of  the  Refor- 
mation. 

^  Robertson's  Charles  V. 

^  Mosheim's  Church  History,  Cen.  xv.  p.  ii. 


A.  D.  1500.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  43 

life  dissolute  and  abandoned ;  urged  to  public  acts  by  a 
boundless  ambition  and  avarice,  many  obeyed  their  man- 
dates more  through  a  dread  of  their  power,  than  a  convic- 
tion of  their  right  to  rule.  But  men  were  not  wanting 
even  at  that  time  who  exposed  the  vices  of  the  Pontiff 
under  the  protection  of  those  political  rulers  with  whom  he 
was  engaged  in  hostilities.  The  vices  now  named  were 
not  confined  to  the  head  of  the  church,  but  might  be  traced 
through  all  orders  of  the  clergy.  Great  wealth,  idleness, 
gross  ignorance  and  celibacy  were  the  fruitful  sources  of 
their  wickedness.  Increased  scandal. was  brought  upon 
the  Church  by  the  facility  with  which  she  remitted  offences. 
She  sold  pardons  at  stipulated  prices,  and  bestowed  them 
more  freely  on  the  clergy  than  on  any  other  class,  a  cir- 
cumstance for  which  it  can  be  plead  that  they  stood  in 
greater  need  of  them.  Degeneracy  of  manners  was  not 
their  only  fault.  They  encroached  on  the  rights  of  every 
other  order  of  men.  The  sacredness  of  their  clerical  char- 
acter was  used  as  a  shield  against  the  punishments  which 
such  atrocious  practices  merited.  It  was  represented  as 
impious  to  try  by  the  same  laws  the  holy  priesthood  and 
the  profane  laity  ;  and  the  right  of  the  clergy  to  be  ex- 
empted from  civil  jurisdiction  was  asserted  by  Popes  and 
Councils,  and  confirmed  by  many  political  rulers,  It  is 
true  the  civil  arm  could  punish  the  offender  after  he  was 
degraded  from  the  sacred  oflSce  ;  but  as  the  power  of  deg- 
radation lay  solely  in  the  spiritual  courts,  absolute  impunity 
was  often  secured  to  them.  All  these  evils,  with  many 
others  that  might  be  added  to  them,  existed  in  the  Church, 
and  weakened  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  their  spirit- 
ual guides.  By  these  abuses  the  people  were  prepared 
the  more  readily  to  receive  the  Peformation  which  Luther 
proposed. 


44  MODERN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

PRINCIPLES    ON    WHICH    THE    REFORMATION    WAS    FOUNDED. 

VII.  The  Reformation  was  sustained  on  the  true  Protest" 
ant  principles  of  the  right  of  private  judgment,  and  the 
authority  of  reason  and  the  word  of  God  as  superior  to 
that  of  Popes,  councils  or  canons.  Luther  was  early  con- 
vinced that  the  Scriptures  were  the  proper  rule  of  faith  and 
practice  ;  and  that  every  man  had  the  right  of  judging  for 
himself  concerning  their  true  sense.  His  preaching  was 
principally  directed  against  the  errors  and  vices  of  the  Pope 
and  the  Catholic  Church.  He  held  to  the  utter  inefiBcacy 
of  human  works  as  a  means  of  salvation,  and  to  the  decree 
of  God  in  the  condemnation  of  the  sinner.  Opposing  par- 
ticularly the  papal  notion  of  releasing  souls  from  purgatory, 
he  appeared  to  assert  with  the  more  vehemence  the 
endless  duration  of  the  pains  of  hell.  It  was  not  so  much 
the  mere  fact  of  delivering  souls  from  purgatory,  that  he 
objected  to  in  the  deep  recesses  of  his  soul,  as  to  the  use 
-  which  the  Pope  and  his  clergy  made  of  that  doctrine.  At 
times  Luther  seems  to  have  had  doubts  whether  the  pains 
of  hell  would  be  endless  ;  but  to  deliver  men  from  purga- 
tion, he  held,  was  the  prerogative  of  God,  and  not  of 
any  power  on  earth .^     Several  of  the   Reformers  differed 

^  Rev.  T.  J.  Sawyer  has  shown  that  Luther  was  not  so  decided  a  friend  of 
endless  punishment  as  he  is  supijosed  to  have  been.  Dr.  S.  says  :  "  Even 
Luther  himself  was  by  no  means  so  ardent  a  friend  of  endless  punishment 
as  he  is  generally  supposed  to  have  been.  It  is  the  remark  of  J.  Otto 
Thiess,  a  German  writer  of  reputation,  and  impartiality,  that  '  Martin 
Luther  has  not  expressed  his  views  sw  plainly  in  his  writings,  on  the  eter- 
nity of  hell  ijunishments,  as  one  would  suppose  from  the  language  of  the 
Lutheran  dogmatists.  He  has  even  been  reckoned  among  the  friends  and 
advocates  of  a  mild  evangelical  doctrine.'  Among  other  things  he  says, 
'  Hell  is  nothing  but  an  evil  conscience.  If  the  Devil  had  not  an  evil  con- 
science, he  would  be  in  heaven' — an  opinion  in  which  Luther  followed 
Origen.'  I  have  an  extract  from  Luther's  works  now  before  me,  in  which 
he  says,  '  How  it  may  be  with  those  who  in  the  New  Testament,  are  con- 
demned, I  can  say  nothing  certain.  I  leave  it  undecided.  But  of  the  godly 
it  is  certain  that  they  live  and  enter  into  peace.'  The  connection  might 
perhaps  essentially  modify  the  import  of  this  j^assage,  but  as  it  here  stands, 
it  certainly  does  not  greatly  favor  the  most  rigid  doctrines  of  Orthodoxy. 

But  the  most  remarkable  expression  of  his  opinions  occurs  in  a  letter 
written  to  a  nobleman,  Hansen  Von  Rechenburg,  in  1522,  in  which  he 
acknowledges  that  therewere  those  among  them,  who  thought  it  quite  too 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVEESALISM.  45 

widely  from  him  in  subjects  of  doctrine,  but  none  perhaps 
more  than  Zuinglius,  the  eminent  Swiss.  While  Lu- 
ther confined  salvation  to  those  who,  by  the  saving  grace 
of  Christ,  were  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth, 
Zuinglius  extended  it  to  the  good  and   benevolent  of  every 

rigid  and  severe,  and  inconsistent  with  the  divine  goodness,  for  God  to  cast 
away  men  as  he  is  represented  doing,  and  thus  to  have  made  them  for 
endless  torments.  He  evidently  rested  the  tremendous  doctrine  of  never 
ending  punishment  upon  mere  verbal  interpretation,  and  regarded  it  aa 
the  greatest  achievement  of  Christian  faith  to  believe  that  God  is  the  high- 
est Goodness,  and  the  highest  Justice  in  this  very  case  where  he  acts  in  a 
manner  to  contradict  our  conceptions  of  both,  And  it  is  a  curious  fact, 
and  worthy  of  particular  notice,  that  Luther  thought  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment  quite  unfit,  and  even  dangerous,  to  urge  upon  those  weak 
in  the  f;iith,  lest  their  feelings  should  be  outraged,  and  their  minds  turned 
to  opposition  and  hatred  against  God.  '  Nature  and  reason  cannot  bear 
it,'  says  he,  'it  is  too  terrible  for  them;  the  weak  believer  also  cannot  bear 
it,  it  offends  him  too  much.'  Hence  he  advises  his  noble  friend  to  be  care- 
ful with  whom  he  discusses  this  subject;  for  there  are  those,  tlioughtful, 
intelligent  people,  with  whom  he  should  shun  it,  while  there  are  others, 
simple,  spiritual,  exi)erimeutal  people,  with  whom  he  could  treat  of  no 
subject  more  profitably. 

When  he  comes  to  answer  the  question  proposed  in  his  letter,  Luther 
says,  we  have  many  strong  passages  to  prove  that  without  faith  no  one 
can  be  saved,  and  having  (putted  them,  he  goes  on  to  say,  that  there  is 
another  question,  viz.  Whether  God  can  give  faith  in  or  after  death, 
and  thus  save  them,  through  faith  ?  '  Who  Avill  doubt,  he  asks,  that  God 
can  do  this?  But  that  he  will,  we  cannot  prove.'  And  the  conclusion 
to  which  he  finally  comes —  a  conclusion  in  which  most  people  will  agree 
with  him,  I  think  — is  this,  that  '  God  does  in  this  matter  what  he  does; 
he  either  gives  faith  or  he  gives  it  not;  still  without  faith  there  is  no  sal- 
vation. ' 

"  Through  the  whole  letter,  Luther  speaks  as  if  he  received  the  doctrine 
of  endless  punishment  quite  unwillingly,  but  was  forced  to  it  by  the  express 
words  of  Scripture;  and  no  one  can  fail  to  see,  that  he  neither  attempted 
any  rational  explanation  of  it,  nor  even  asserted  it  in  bold  and  decisive 
terms.  His  demonstrable  conclusion  that  God  does  in  the  case  what  He 
does;  He  gives  faith  or  He  gives  it  not,  is  obviously  ambiguous,  and  may 
be  applied  to  either  side  of  the  question.  No  American  divine  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  who  is  ambitious  of  being  called  Orthodox,  would  write  such  a 
letter,  or  venture  to  express  himself  so  moderately  as  Luther  does  here. 
Calvin  would  have  decided  the  matter  in  a  single  paragraph,  and  in  away, 
too,  that  would  have  been  at  least  intelligible." 

Those  who  wish  to  see  this  subject  more  fully  discussed,  are  referred  to 
an  article  in  the  Universalist  Quarterly,  Vol.  vii.  pp.  356—363,  by  llev.  T. 
J.  Sawyer.  Dr.  Sawyer  shows,  that  this  letter  bears  unquestionable  testi- 
mony to  the  existence  of  Universalists  and  Universalism  at  that  early  day, 
A.D.  1522.  It  is  certain  that  Universalism  held  its  place  in  the  early  times 
of  Luther,  and  commanded  no  little  attention  and  respect.  It  would  seem 
that  the  great  Reformer  did  not  hold  the  doctrine  of  endless  pain  with  full 
confidence.  He  thought  if  taught  at  all,  it  should  be  done  with  great 
discretion. 


46  MODERN  HISTORY  [Book  I. 

&.ge  and  nation,  how  wrong  soever  they  might  be  in  their 
speculative  opinions,  One  Catholic  writer  has  accused  him 
of  having  believed  in  the  salvation  of  all  mankind,  a  charge 
which  does  not  admit  of  proof.^ 

It  is  with  the  principles  on  which  the  Eeformation  was 
established,  rather  than  with  the  mere  opinions  of  the  Ke- 
formers,  that  we  are  now  concerned.  To  doubt  the  decis- 
ions of  the  Pope  had  been  a  crime.  It  was  but  a  common 
place  virtue,  to  submit  one's  authority  to  that  of  canons, 
and  the  Fathers.  As  the  strong  support  of  Papal  power, 
it  was  these  impressions  that  the  Reformers  attacked 
with  the  greatest  vigor.  By  the  most  earnest  appeals,  the 
people  were  exhorted  to  assert  and  make  use  of  the  right 
of  reading  and  judging  for  themselves.  The  long  neglected 
volume  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  was  placed  in  their  hands, 
translated  into  their  own  tongue.  The  ardor  with  which 
they  would  conform  to  this  entreaty  may  be  imagined,  but 
it  cannot  be  described. 

THOSE    PRINCIPLES    GAVE    RISE    TO    MANY    NEW    SECTS. 

VIII.  One  of  the  direct  and  inevitable  consequences  of 
the  principles  for  which  the  Reformers  contended,  was  the 
introduction  of  new  opinions,   and  the  multiplication  and 

^The  following  is  the  passage  to  which  we  refer:  "  Zuingle  qui  avait 
professe  la  meme  doctrine  (i.  e.  the  doctrine  of  the  Universalists)  fut  refute 
par  Osiander,  Lyserus,  et  d'autres  theologiens  Protestans."  Histoire 
des  Sectes  Religieuses,  par  M.  Gregoire.     Tome  Premier,  p.  78. 

In  the  abstract  of  his  doctrine  which  Zuinglius  presented  to  Francis  I.  he 
said,  "  I  cannot  believe  that  God  will  involve  in  the  same  condemnation, 
him  who  shuts  his  eyes  to  the  light,  and  him  who  unavoidably  lives  in 
darkness.  I  cannot  believe  that  the  Lord  will  cast  away  from  him  nations 
whose  only  crime  it  is  never  to  have  heard  of  the  gospel.  No,  let  us  abjure 
the  rashness  of  setting  bounds  to  the  divine  mercy.  I  am  persuaded  that 
in  the  heavenly  assemblage  of  all  the  creatures  admitted  to  contemjilate  the 
glory  of  the  Most  High,  we  shall  see  not  only  the  holy  men  of  the  Old  and 
New  Covenant,  but  also  Socrates,  Aristides,  Camillus  and  Cato;  in  a  word 
I  am  persuaded  that  all  good  men  who  have  fulfilled  the  laws  engraven  on 
their  consciences,  whatever  were  the  age  or  country  in  which  they  lived, 
will  enter  into  eternal  felicity."  Life  of  Zuinglius  by  J.  G.  Hess.  See 
also  Milner's  Church  Hist.  Cent.  xvi.  Chap.  16,  who  refers  to  Zuinglii 
Opera,  ii.  559.  To  these  authorities  I  may  add  Moshiem's  Eccles.  Hist. 
Cent.  xvi.  Part  ii.  chap.  ii.  7. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  47 

diversity  of  sects.  The  leaders  of  the  Reformation  seem 
not  fully  to  have  considered,  that  the  principles  of  reform 
which  they  had  set  up,  brought  into  discredit  not  only  the 
authority  of  the  Pontiff,  but  also  all  mere  human  authority 
in  matters  of  religion.  They  had  no  good  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  they  could  control  the  strong  current  of  popular 
feeling  which  they  had  put  into  motion.  Like  some  mighty 
rush  of  waters  to  the  level  of  the  sea,  it  broke  over  every 
restraint,  and  bore  away  every  obstacle.  They  who  had 
been  encouraged  to  become  heretics  in  the  eye  of  the  Pope, 
by  denying  his  authority,  would  not  hesitate  to  become 
heretics,  in  the  eyes  of  the  Reformers  by  discarding  their 
opinions.  Thus,  when  the  principles  of  the  Reformation 
spread  throughout  Germany,  [1520]  there  arose  a  number 
of  different  sects,  some  distinguished  by  one  article  of  faith 
and  some  by  another.  There  is  a  great  variety  in  the  con- 
ditions of  the  human  mind  ;  and  men,  in  the  free  exercise 
of  their  powers  of  judgment,  always  have  arrived  at  differ- 
ent results.  So  far  from  having  been  chagrined  and  disap- 
pointed, the  Reformers  ought  not  to  have  been  surprised  at 
the  rapid  increase  of  sects,  and  wide  diversity  of  opinions 
that  succeeded  to  their  labors. 

SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THESE  SECTS. 

IX.  It  is  impossible  in  this  day,  and  in  this  country, 
to  give  a  full  account  of  the  sects  which  arose  in  Germany 
and  quickly  spread  into  the  neighboring  countries,  at  the 
epoch  of  the  Reformation.  Their  particular  histories,  whether 
written  by  friends  or  enemies,  possessed  rather  a  local 
interest,  and  were  not  considered  by  succeeding  genera- 
tions as  worthy  of  transmission  to  posterity.  What  we 
learn  of  them  is  amalgamated,  in  the  most  of  cases,  with 
the  general  history  of  the  Church,  or  that  of  the  Reforma- 
tion ;  and  those  traits  of  their  character  and  faith  about 
which  their  enemies  were  the  most  vehement,  are  such  as 
have,  thereby  been  preserved  from  oblivion. 


48  MODERN    HISTORY  [Book  I 

It  is  highly  probable  that  these  sects  had  a  remote 
descent  from  the  ancient  Paulicians,  who,  after  suffering 
various  and  grievous  persecutions  and  frequent  reverses  of 
fortune,  spread  through  Europe,  bearing,  in  different  places 
the  names  of  Waldenses,  Albanenses,  Albigenses,  Piphles, 
Cathari,  &c.^  Their  principles  bore  a  close  resemblance  to 
those  of  the  more  ancient  Manichseans  ;  and  some  of  them, 
at  least,  held  to  the  eventual  destruction  of  evil  and  misery, 
denying  perhaps  altogether,  as  some  authors  have  assorted, 
the  doctrine  of  future  punishment,  and  affirming  "  that  the 
general  judgment  was  past,  and  that  hell  torments  were  no 
other  than  the  evils  we  feel  and  suffer  in  tlAs  life." "  Long 
opposed  and  grievously  persecuted  by  the  Catholics,  the 
event  of  the  Reformation,  patronized  as  it  was  by  civil 
power  in  Germany,  England  and  other  places,  called  these 
sects  from  seclusion,  gave  them  courage,  and  fostered  their 
innate  zeal  to  diffuse  their  sentiments. ^ 

RISE    OF    THE    ANABAPTISTS. 

X.  The  most  prominent  of  these  sects  which  arose  in 
Germany,  if  indeed  they  are  not  all  to   be  comprehended 

1  Hist,  of  England,  by  Sharon  Turner,  ii.  381,  382. 

'^See  the  popuhir  Theological  Dictionary  by  Buck,  art.  Albanenses,  and 
Gabrielis  Prateoli  Marcossii  Vita  Hasreticorum.  By  the  general  judgment 
being  passed,  (a  heresy  charged  uiion  the  sects  referred  to,)  perhaps  all 
they  meant  was  this:  that  the  events  were  passed,  described  by  Christ  and 
his  apostles  in  those  i^arts  of  the  New  Testament  usually  but  not  justly 
aijplied  to  a  future  judgment^  Were  this  their  meaning,  it  is  a  pomt  on 
which  many  persons  of  the  present  day  resemble  them.  An  article  on  the 
Cathari  or  Albigenses,  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  H.  Ballou  2d.  may  be  found 
in  the  Universalist  Quarterly,  vol.  vii.  363-393. 

3  Mosheim  says,  "  Before  the  rise  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  there  lay  con- 
cealed in  almost  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  particularly  in  Bohemia, 
Moravia,  Switzerland  and  Germany,  many  persons  who  adhered  tena- 
ciously to  the  doctrine  which  the  Waldenses,  Wickliffites  and  Hussites  had 
maintained.  The  drooping  spirits  of  these  people,  who  had  been  per- 
secuted every  where  with  the  greatest  severity,  were  revived  when  they 
were  informed  that  Luther,  seconded  by  several  persons  of  eminent  piety, 
had  attempted  with  success  the  reformation  of  the  Church.  Then  they 
spoke  with  openness  and  freedom;  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the  fanatical,  as 
well  as  the  prudence  of  the  wise,  discovered  themselves  in  their  natural 
colors."  Eccle.  Hist.  Cent.  xvi.  Sec.  iii.  Part  ii.  2  and  3.  and  Benedict's 
History  of  the  Baptists,  Boston  1813,  voL  i.  138. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF   UNIVEESALISM.  49 

under  one  name,  were  the  Anabaptists,  who  appeared  sud- 
denly, and  spread  with  amazing  rapidity  throughout  Ger- 
many and  the  neighboring  countries.  Thus  it  is  a  little 
remarkable,  that  we  should  find  the  first  traces  of  Univer- 
salism  after  the  Reformation,  among  the  early  predecessors 
of  the  respectable  class  of  Christians  now  called  Baptists. 
The  rise  of  the  Anabaptists  was  marked  by  many  disorders, 
which  have  unjustly  cast  a  stigma  upon  the  whole  people 
who  bore  that  name,  and  brought  into  disrepute  many  men 
of  the  most  peaceable  dispositions,  and  exemplary  lives. 
The  war  of  the  peasants  which  had  broken  out  in  some 
provinces  of  the  German  Empire,  had  been  produced,  at 
first,  by  the  abject  servitude  to  which  this  part  of  the  com- 
munity had  been  reduced.  When  to  the  excessive  rigor 
of  the  feudal  institutions  there  came  to  be  added  the  enor- 
mous taxes  which  the  progress  in  elegance  and  luxury,  and 
the  changes  in  the  art  of  war  had  called  for,  the  accumu- 
lated load  of  burden  drove  this  people  to  despair.  Ani- 
mated by  the  example  of  the  Swiss,  who  had  been  relieved 
by  revolt  from  similar  evils,  they,  in  the  year  1526,  ran  to 
arms  in  the  most  frantic  rage.  These  commotions  soon 
reached  that  part  of  Germany  in  which  Luther  had  propa- 
gated his  opinions,  and  they  found  a  congenial  principle  in 
that  bold  and  innovating  spirit,  which,  having  given  rise  to 
the  Reformation,  was  nourished  and  strengthened  by  its 
progress. 

As  we  have  already  stated,  the  principles  for  which  the 
Reformers  contended,  and  which  they  pressed  upon  the 
attention  of  the  people,  more  particularly  a  treatise  by 
Luther,  de  lihertate  Christiana,  had  given  men  a  disposition 
to  throw  ofi"  all  restraint  upon  the  freedom  of  the  mind. 
They  very  soon  learned  to  apply  their  maxims  concerning 
religion  to  the  principles  of  civil  government,  and  came  to 
look  on  civil  rulers  with  the  same  jealous  eye  with  which 
they  viewed  the  aspiring  ecclesiastics.  When  the  flame 
which  the  peasants  had   kindled  reached  that  which   was 


60  MODEEN  HISTORY  [Book! 

burning  wherever  the  opinions  of  Luther  prevailed,  the 
combined  element  raged  with  tenfold  violence.  The 
authority  of  civil  rulers,  in  the  view  of  vast  numbers 
of  the  populace,  was  then  no  more  to  be  tolerated  than 
that  of  the  Pope.  All  was  equally  usurpation.  It  was 
held  that,  the  Christian  owed  allegiance  to  no  man  :  he  was 
the  servant  of  Christ  alone  ;  and  as  such  he  was  amenable 
to  no  laws  but  those  of  his  Master's  kingdom.  In  Christ 
there  is  neither  Greek  nor  Jew,  bond  nor  free,  male  nor 
female  ;  in  him  there  are  no  distinctions ;  all  men  are 
equal ;  they  should  therefore,  have  things  in  common  ;  they 
should  live  together  like  brethren,  subject  to  none  but 
spiritual  laws.  On  this  ground  some  who  had  been  aroused 
by  Luther's  sentiments  in  favor  of  Christian  liberty,  at- 
ttmpted  to  set  up  what  they  called  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
upon  the  earth,  by  the  subversion  of  all  civil  authority 
whatsoever.  After  several  reverses,  they  unexpectedly 
seized,  in  1533,  the  city  of  Munster,  in  Westphalia,  where 
they  set  about  to  establish  divine  authority.  They  drove 
out  the  civil  rulers,  and  all  the  inhabitants  who  would  not 
submit  to  that  authority  ;  and  strange  to  tell,  they  kept 
possession  of  this  city  during  sixteen  months.  Overcome 
at  last,  many  of  their  number  suffered  death.  Whether, 
while  the  so-called  divine  authority  was  exercised,  all  those 
crimes  were  committed  which  historians  have  laid  to  the 
charge  of  these  infuriated  enthusiasts,  may  justly  be 
doubted  ;  for  it  is  a  fact  to  which  the  most  respectable  his- 
torians bear  testimony,  tliat  the  factious  and  riotous  pro- 
ceedings at  Munster  were  highly  disapproved  by  many 
of  the  Anabaptists.  Among  those  thus  denominated 
were  men  of  high  character  and  reputation,  distinguished 
by  their  solid  learning,  their  rational  piety,  and  enlightened 
zeal  for  divine  truth.^  In  the  general  rage  which  the  dis- 
turbances  in  Westphalia   had  excited,  an    indiscriminate 

*  Hist.  Introduction  to  Ree's  Racov.  Cat. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  51 

censure  was  passed  upon  all  the  Anabaptist  sects.*  Aspir- 
ing after  a  knowledge  of  the  truth,  some  ventured,  as  they 
had  a  right,  to  dissent  from  the  doctrines  of  the  principal 
Reformers  ;  but  others,  rebelled  against  the  government 
under  which  they  lived,  and  were  actually  seditious.  His- 
torians have  not  been  sufficiently  careful  to  distinguish 
between  these  two  classes.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  politi- 
cal disturbances  caused  by  the  factious  part  of  the  commu- 
nity, consisting  alike  of  Anabaptists,  Catholics,  peasants, 
and  many  persons  actuated  by  no  religious  considerations 
whatever,^  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  these  sects  would  have 
excited  general  attention,  much  less  that  alarm  which  pre- 
vailed through  Germany  and  the  low  countries.  Historians, 
fired  by  the  common  impulse,  seized  on  these  things  as  the 
distinguishing  features  of  the  sects,  and  have  contemplated 
those  sects  as  a  race  of  men,  void  of  principle,  setting 
laws,  order  and  true  i-eligion  at  defiance,  and  wishing  to 
overwhelm  the  world  in  a  flood  of  licentiousness.  These 
charges  are  made  very  readily ;  but,  we  think,  are  far  from 
being  well  supported.  The  Anabaptists  evidently  were 
not  all  such  persons.  There  were  many  good  men  among 
them.  They  were  studious  of  the  Scriptures,  and  behaved 
with  great  fortitude  in  all  their  sufferings.  One  of  the 
principal  crimes  alleged  against  them,  is  that  they  main- 
tained a  community  of  women.    In  doubting  this,  we  diflFer 

*  Mosheim  says,  "  The  severest  laws  were  enacterl  against  them,  in  con- 
sequence of  which  the  innocent  and  the  guilty  were  involved  in  the  same 
terrible  fate,  and  prodigious  numbers  were  devoted  to  death  in  the  most 
dreadful  forms."     Cen.  xvi.  Sec.  i.  Chap.  3. 

^  Buck,  in  his  Tlieo.  Die.  art.  Anabap.  has  some  just  remarks  on  this 
subject.  "  It  must  be  acknowledged  that  the  true  rise  of  tlie  insurrections 
of  this  period ,  ousrht  not  to  be  attributed  to  religious  opinions.  The  first 
insurgents  groaned  under  severe  oppressions,  and  took  up  arms  in  defence 
of  their  civil  liberties;  and  of  these  commotions  the  Anabaptists  seem 
rather  to  have  availed  themselves,  than  to  have  been  the  prime  movers. 
That  a  great  part  were  Anabaptists  seems  indisputable;  at  the  same  time 
it  ajjpears  from  history,  that  a  great  part  also  were  Roman  Catholics,  and 
a  still  greater  part  of  those  who  had  scarcely  any  religious  principles  at 
all.  Indeed,  when  we  read  of  the  vast  numbers  that  were  concerned,  in 
these  insurrections,  of  wliom  it  is  reported  that  100,000  fell  by  the  sword, 
it  appears  reasonable  to  conclude  that  they  were  not  all  Anabaptists." 


52  MODERN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

from  historians  of  the  first  respectability.  We  will  insert 
here,  therefore,  a  paragraph  from  Bayle,  and  leave  it  to 
have  its  proper  weight  upon  the  reader's  mind.  "  Perhaps 
I  shall  not  be  mistaken  in  conjecturing  that  the  writers  of 
Heretical  Catalogues  have  forged  this  chimera  (community 
of  women)  by  giving  a  bad  turn  through  ignorance  or 
malice,  to  one  of  the  consequences  of  the  doctrine  of 
equality  of  condition.  It  is  certain  that  the  Anabaptists, 
at  first  taught  this  equality  ;  the  consequence  of  which 
was,  that  a  young  lady  of  good  family,  ought  not  to  refuse 
propositions  of  marriage  from  the  son  of  a  peasant,  and 
that  a  gentleman  ought  not  to  decline  the  courtship  of  a 
country  girl.  If  our  catalogue  writers  built  the  absurd 
doctrine  which  they  impute  to  the  Anabaptists  upon  this 
foundation,  are  they  less  impertinent  than  the  doctrine 
itself?"^ 

UNIVERSALISM    PREVAILED    AMONG    THE    ANABAPTISTS. 

XI.  That  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation  was  main- 
tained by  some  of  the  Anabaptist  sects  is  not  to  be 
doubted,  though  it  is  impossible,  at  this  day,  to  tell  how 
extensively  it  was  received  among  them,  or  in  what  forms 
it  was  holden.  Evans,  in  his  Sketch  of  the  denominations 
of  the  christian  World,"  and  after  him  Mr.  Adam,  in  his 
Religious  World  Displayed,^  have  asserted  that  the  German 

*  Bayle's  Hist  and  Crit.  Die.  art.  Anab.  See  also  the  following  extract: 
"  The  AnabajDtists  have  been  reproached  as  being  bad  citizens,  disturbers 
of  the  public  repose,  as  not  being  willing  to  render  to  the  Magistrate  the 
obedience  which  is  his  due.  This  accusation  appears  to  me  a  little  vague. 
I  could  wish  their  opponents  had  been  more  particular.  Perhaps  they 
wished  to  exact  oaths  of  them.  Jesus  Christ  did  not  approve  of  oaths  ; 
and  besides  is  not  a  simple  promise  as  good  as  an  oath  ?  The  one  is  of  as 
much  value  as  the  other.  Oaths  have  been  designed  to  impi-ess  a  sense  of 
duty  more  strongly  upon  the  commonality  and  the  ignorant;  but  whether 
1  raise  my  hand  toward  heaven,  or  lay  it  on  a  Holy  Book,  as  was  com- 
monly practised  heretofore,  or  hold  it  in  the  pocket  of  my  habit,  when  I 
make  a  promise,  is  it  not  the  same  thing  ?  Perhaps  the  Magistrates  of 
Zurich  demanded  that  they  should  renounce  their  errors,  and  should 
believe  like  them,  and  like  Zuinglius  their  apostle.  In  that  case  ought 
they  to  have  obeyed  and  violated  their  conscience  ? ' '  Bibliotheque  Rai- 
sonne,  for  AprU,  May  and  June,  1774. 

2  Art.  Universalist.  ^  Art.  Universal  Restoration . 


A,  D.  1520.]  OF   UNIVERSALISM.  03 

Baptists  before  the  Reformation  propagated  this  sentiment. 
Maimbourg'  and  Lamy,  in  their  history  of  Arianism/  state 
"  that  the  Anabaptists  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  Rhine,  at 
least,  some  of  them,  held  that  the  torments  of  the  devils 
and  of  the  damned  would  have  an  end,  and  the  apostate 
angels  be  reinstated  in  their  first  condition  at  the  creation." 
"  To  this  capital  error,"  says  the  writer  in  a  French  Ency- 
clopedia,' "  the  Anabaptists  added  many  others  from  the 
Gnostics  and  ancient  heretics  :  viz.  Some  have  denied  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  descent  into  hell ;  others 
have  maintained  that  the  souls  of  the  dead  sleep  until  the 
day  of  judgment,  and  that  the  pains  of  hell  are  not  eter- 
nal." Another  eminent  writer'  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
asserts,  that  "  the  Anabaptists,  in  the  last  century,  under- 
took to  maintain  that  all  the  damned,  and  even  the  devils 
themselves,  would  at  length  be  saved,  and  that  an  end 
would  be  put  to  their  punishments  or  torments  which  their 
sins  deserve."  The  same  writer  informs  us,  on  the  author- 
ity of  D.  Wigandus,  that  Johannes  Denckius,  attempted  in 
a  public  writing  to  defend  that  doctrine,  and  that  Stanislaus 
Pannonius  published  a  book,  entitled  Divina  Philanthropia, 
in  support  of  the  same  sentiment. 

DENCKIUS,    HETZER,    AND    PANNONIUS. 

XII.  The  three  men  whose  names  stand  out  most 
prominently  at  this  period,  as  defenders  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  final  salvation  of  all  men  are  Hans  Deuk,  [John  Denc- 
kius^] Ludwig  [or  Lewis]  Hetzer,  and  Stanislaus  Pan- 
nonius.  The  first  two  were  united  in  their  labors.  It  is 
difficult  to  learn  much  in  regard  to  them  ;  and  what  we  do 
learn  comes  from  their  enemies,  exaggerated  by  all  the 
bad  aid  that  jealousy  and  malice  could  supply.  Denckius 
was  born,  it  is  said,  in  Upper  Pfaltz,  and  was  a  scholar  of 
Oecolampadius.     He  was  Cometor  for  a  time  in  Basle,  and 

»  Webster's  Translation,  Westminster  1735,  p.  74. 

^  Encyclopodie,  par  une  Secietie  de  sens  de  lettres.     Paris,  1751. 

3  Quintstedii  Syst.  Theolog.  part  i.  p.  575. 


54  MODEEN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

then  rector  of  the  school  of  St.  Sebald  in  Nuremberg,  but 
becoming  an  Anabaptist,  and  an  advocate  of  Origen's 
doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation,  he  was  deposed  and  ban- 
ished. This  occurred  about  1524,  or  only  nine  years  after 
the  commencement  of  the  Eeformation.  Suffering  them- 
selves for  opinion's  sake,  the  early  Eeformers  became  per- 
secutors in  turn. 

For  a  few  months  Denk  was  at  Muehlhausen,  and  in 
1525,  went  to  Switzerland.  Here  he  probably  first  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Hetzer.  As  they  sympathized  in  a 
communion  of  faith,  they  united  in  various  literary  labors 
having  relation  to  religion.  They  made  a  translation  of 
the  Prophets.  The  work  was  probably  executed  at  Augs- 
burg, where  they  lived  for  a  considerable  time,  and  where 
they  spread  their  doctrine,  it  is  said,  in  secret.  This  is 
not  probable,  however,  as  both  were  persecuted  there,  and 
Denk  fled  to  Strasburg,  and  in  1528  went,  again  to  Basle, 
and  continued  to  reside  there  and  at  Worms  till  the  time 
of  his  death,  which  was  occasioned  by  the  plague  not  long 
after.  Little  doubt  can  be  entertained  that  this  was  a 
fortunate  issuo  of  his  life,  for  had  he  lived  long  he  would 
in  all  probability  have  suffered  a  violent  death,  like  his 
friend  Hetzer,  at  the  hands  of  the  public  hangman,  and  his 
body  have  been  burned. 

Denk  taught,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Restoration  of  all  things, 
and  it  is  probable  also  sympathized  with  his  friend  Hetzer 
in  his  Anti-Trinitarian  views.  Von  Einem  tells  us  that  he 
had  followers,  who  were  called  Demonists  or  Demoniasts, 
because,  says  he,  Denk  and  his  adherents  endeavored  to 
maintain  that  even  evil  spirits  will  finally  be  saved.  An- 
other writer  assigned  a  different  reason  for  this  name, 
which  was  that  Denk  and  his  sect  required  those  who  were 
baptized  to  renounce  seven  evil  spirits.  Many  of  that 
age  might  have  been  required  to  renounce  a  whole  legion. 

Buettenhausen,  in  his  "  Contributions  to  the  History  of 
the  Pfiiltz,"   tells  us  that  Denk  was  induced  by  Oecolam- 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF   UNIVERSALISM.  55 

padius  to  recant  his  errors  before  his  death,  and  that  his 
recantation  was  published.  Of  the  nature  and  extent  of 
this  recantation  we  have  no  means  of  judging. 

Denk,  as  well  as  Hetzer,  was  a  man  of  learning-,  and*  so 
far  as  we  are  informed,  of  good  character.  His  enemies 
do  not  accuse  him  as  they  do  Hetzer,  of  having  twelve 
wives,  nor  with  any  other  violation  of  morality.  How 
improbable  the  charge  is  in  the  case  of  Hetzer,  can  be 
inferred  from  his  zealous  literary  labors. 

As  some  of  Denk's  writings  were  reprinted  in  a  12mo. 
vol.  at  Amsterdam  in  1680,  it  would  naturally''  be  inferred 
that  there  were  those  who  sympathized  with  him  a  century 
and  a  half  after  his  death. ^ 

Petersen  speaks  of  Denk  as  a  man  possessed  of  an  acute 
mind  and  distinguished  in  the  faith  of  a  world's  salvation. 
He  was  the  author  of  several  works,  which  were  published 
at  different  times,  but  the  smaller  pieces  were  republished 
at  Amsterdam,  in  1620,  12mo.  Petersen  refers  to  one  of  his 
works  on  the  question,  "  Is  God  the  author  of  sin  ?  "  On 
page  68  he  says,  "  Sin  is  of  no  avail  against  God  ;  and 
be  it  ever  so  great,  God  can  and   will  overcome  it   to  his 

eternal  praise  and  without  injury  to  his  creatures 

If  sin  could  not  be  annihilated,  it  would  have  been  better 
that  God  should  not  have  created  at  all,  than  to  have  per- 
mitted sin.  Still  had  it  been  othei'wise,  it  would  not  have 
been  well.  If  God  had  not  created,  he  would  have  been 
known  only  to  himself,  which  were  not  enough  for  his 
glory.  Had  he  prevented  sin,  his  mercy  would  not  have 
been  mercy,  because  it  would  have  had  no  object  on  which 
to  display  itself,  or  who  needed  it.  But  if  it  could  not 
be  overcome,  then  God  would  not  bo  Almighty,  and  must 
forever  see  his  enemy  standing  by  his  side  ;  yea,  his  enemy 
would  be  his  equal  in  power." 

Denk  believed  that  all  punishment  is  remedial  and  salu- 

*  See  Dr.  vSawyer's  Contributions  to  the  History  of  Modern  UniversaJ- 
ism,  in  the  Christian  Ambassador,  No.  ix. 


56  MODERN   HISTORY  [Book  I. 

tary.  He  appeals  to  the  conduct  of  parents  in  their 
dealings  with  froward  children,  who  are  ever  ready  to 
receive  them  when  they  return  penitent  and  humble. 
"  Even  men  who  are  evil  do  this/'  says  he,  and  shall  not 
God  do  as  much,  whose  riches  and  goodness  no  one  can 
sufficiently  speak  or  even  think  of.  Happy  is  he,  who  in 
his  anguish  and  necessity,  knows  the  compassion  of  God, 
and  fears  not  to  trust  himself  to  his  grace  "  * 

Ludwig,  or  Lewis  Hetzer,  is  generally  recognized  as 
having  avowed  the  faith  of  Universal  Salvation.  He 
was  born,  probably,  near  the  close  of  the  fifteenth  century, 
though  the  year  is  not  given,  at  Bischofzell,  a  city  iu  Swiss 
Thurgan.  For  a  considerable  time  he  exercised  the  office 
of  Chaplain  in  the  market  town  of  Wardenschweil  on  the 
lake  of  Constance,  and  afterwards  became  priest  at  Zurich. 

When  the  Reformation  broke  out  there,  he  united  with 
its  friends,  and  labored  to  promote  the  common  cause  both 
by  preaching  and  writing.  As  early  as  the  year  1525,  it 
was  found  that  he  had  gone  over  to  the  Anabaptists  ;  and 
at  Augsburg  he  so  violently  opposed  the  preacher  Urbanus 
Regius,  who  was  then  preaching  against  Carolostadt's  doc- 
trine of  the  Lord's  Supper,  that  the  authorities  expelled 
him  from  the  city.  Shortly  after  a  reconciliation  took 
place  between  him  and  Zwingle,  as  appears  from  the  pre- 
face of  his  translation  of  Oecolampadius'  book,  de  Eucha- 
ristia.  Here  he  confessed  that  his  dislike  of  infant  baptism 
sprang  from  this  circumstance,  that  in  the  Romish  church 
they  ascribed  salvation  to  water  baptism,  and  hence  held 
unbaptized  children  as  damned,  and  so  have  assigned  them 
a  particular  burying  place  ;  but  he  says  that  Zwingle  has 
taught  him  a  better  doctrine,  viz  :  that  baptism  is  to  be 
regarded  as  only  a  covenant  sign. 

Notwithstanding  this  publicly  avowed  change  of  opinion, 
Hetzer  remained  not  free  from   the  suspicion,  that  he  was 

^Petersen's  "  Mysterion  Apokatastasis,  etc.."  Vol.  i.  pp.  83,84,  and 
Murdock's  Translation  of  Mosheim's  Eccles.  Hist.  Vol.  iii.  p.  232,  n.  7. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OP   UNIVEESALISM.  57 

attached  to  the  fanatical  Anabaptists ;  and  in  a  work  of  the 
year  1527,  in  which  the  preachers  at  Strasburg,  where  he 
then  resided,  gave  warnin»'  against  every  party  of  Anabap- 
tists, and  among  others  of  Hans  Denk,  a  leader  of  them, 
they  remarked  that  Hetzer  embraced  his  opinions,  although 
he  would  not  confess  it. 

Both  these  men  possessed  much  to  recommend  them. 
They  were  well  skilled  in  Hebrew,  Greek  and  Latin,  and 
were  really  men  of  fine  talents,  only  as  Joachim  Vadianus, 
the  learned  Burgomaster  of  St.  Gallen,  adds,  they  were 
touched  with  an  indescribable  love  of  novelty.  Denk  re- 
newed among  other  things,  Origen's  doctrine  of  the  so- 
called  restoration  of  all  things,  or  of  the  ultimate  salvation 
to  be  hoped  even  for  the  damned.  Hetzer  went  still 
farther  ;  he  wrote  a  special  book  against  the  divinity  'of 
Christ  ;  but  Zwingle  prevented  it  from  being  published 
either  at  Zurich  or  Basle.  Still  Hetzer  is  particularly 
distinguished  for  his  biblical  translations,  in  which  Denk 
also  labored  with  him.  These  were,  "  All  the  Prophets 
according  to  the  Hebrew,  translated  into  German,"  pub- 
lished in  folio  at  Worms  in  1527,  and  at  Hagenam  in  1528. 
They  appeared  before  Luther's  translation  of  the  Old 
Testament,  and  previous  to  his,  were  the  best  translation 
that  had  appeared.  Hetzer  was  a  poet  also,  and  his  Lieder 
01  Songs  are  noteworthy,  and  some  of  them  were  inserted 
in  a  collection  made  at  Zurich  towards  the  close  of  the  six- 
teenth century. 

This  singular  man  was  finally  beheaded  at  Constance,  in 
the  year  1529.^  Those  who  honor  him  say  on  account  of 
his  doctrines,  but  other  cotemporaries  on  account  of 
repeated  adultery.  Even  his  enemies  acknowledged  that 
he  died  with  uncommon  steadfastness  ;  still  he  persisted  to 
the  end  that  infant  baptism  must  be  given  up. 

Such  is  the  account  of  Hetzer,  given  by  Schroeckh,  in  his 

»  See  Murdock's  Mosheim,  New  York,  1850.    Vol.  iii.  223. 


58  MODERN    HISTORY  [Book  I. 

"  History  of  the  Christian  Church  since  the  Reformation." 
—  Vol,  V.  pp.  485-8.  Joachim  Vadianus,  before  men- 
tioned, called  him  a  man  of  great  versatility  of  talent,  dis- 
ting-uished  for  his  ability,  and  especially  skilled  and  won- 
derfully dexterous  in  the  languages.  Hering  tells  us  that 
at  the  commencement  Hetzer,  with  the  assistance  of  John 
Denk,  produced  many  useful  works  against  Popery,  but 
he  went  over  to  the  fanatical  Anabaptists,  among  whom 
he  became  celebrated,  and  was  the  first  among  the  Ger- 
mans to  write  against  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ.^ 

Of  Stanislaus  Pannonius,  little  can  be  known  except  the 
fact  already  mentioned.  Pannonius  published  a  book 
entitled  "  De  Divina  Philanthropia,"  in  support  of  the  fact 
of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men.  In  the  year  1546,  a  book 
appeared  in  Germany  under  the  title  " Paradisische  Biviren," 
which  seems  to  have  favored  Universalism,  but  how  far,  it 
is  impossible  to  say. 

CONDEMNATION    OF    THE    ANABAPTISTS. 

XIII.  But  the  most  conclusive  of  all  testimony  in  proof 
that  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  was  held  by  these  sects, 
is  the  XVII  article  of  the  Augustin  Confession,  in  which  they 
are  expressly  condemned  for  maintaining  it.  The  Augu^in 
Confession,  as  the  most  of  readers  know,  was  that  confes- 
sion of  the  faith  of  the  Protestants  which  was  drawn  up 
by  Melancthon,  and  presented  to  the  Emperor  Charles  V. 
at  the  Diet  of  Augsburg,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  Pro- 
testant body.  In  this  confession  the  principles  of  the 
Protestants  were  developed,  the  reasons  why  they  separat- 
ed from  the  Church  of  Rome  were  set  forth,  and  the  errors 
of  the  sects  called  heretical  were  pointed  out  and  condemn- 
ed. In  the  seventeenth  article  they  say  they  maintain, 
"  that  Christ  will  appear  in  the  end  of  the  world  to  judg- 
ment, and  that  all  the  dead  shall  be  raised  ;  that  to  the 

*  See  Dr.  Sawyer's  Contributions  to  the  History  of  Modern  Universalism, 
in  the  Ambassador  of  January  14,  1854,  No.  viii.  of  the  series. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  59 

pious  and  elect  he  shall  give  eternal  life  and  happiness,  but 
that  impious  men  and  the  devil  he  will  condemn  to  torment 
without  end."  Herein,  they  say,  "they  condemn  the 
Anabaptists,  who  maintain  that  there  shall  be  an  end  to 
the  punishments  of  the  damned  and  of  the  devils."  ^  It  is 
not  stated  in  this  Confession  what  particular  sects  of  the 
-Anabaptists  held  to  this  doctrine,  nor  how  extensively  it 
had  spi-ead  among  them  ;  but  it  is  to  be  supposed  from  the 
circumstance  of  their  being  condemned  in  this  manner, 
that  it  was  held  by  some  of  their  most  eminent  men. 

SECT    OF    THE    LIBERTINES. 

XIV.  Another  sect  which  arose  about  this  time,  and  which 
falls  within  the  design  of  this  work,  was  the  Libertines,  of 
whom  we  are  not  to  judge  by  the  bad  sense  in  which  the 
name  given  to  them  has  since  been  used.  The  sect  arose  in 
Flanders,  and  afterward  got  footing  in  France,  through  the 
power  of  Margaret,  queen  of  Navarre,  and  sister  to  Francis 
I.  Francis,  in  himself  of  no  religion  whatever,  bestowed 
his  favor  on  Catholics  or  Protestants,  just  as  his  political 
policy  required.  Although  at  times,  vehement  and  unrea- 
sonable in  his  opposition  to  the  Reformers,  he  permitted 
their  doctrines  to  be  disseminated  in  his  kingdom.  Mar- 
garet, a  woman  of  a  highly  cultivated  mind,  had  early 
manifested  a  strong  attachment  to  the  principles  of  the 
Reformation,  and  by  the  influence  which  she  had  over  her 
brother,  who  most  fondly  loved  her,  she  secured  royal 
favor  to  those  men  of  liberal  principles  whom  she  invited 
into  France.  During  the  intervals  of  favor  which  the  Pro- 
testants enjoyed,  they  constituted  several  churches,  iu 
some  of  which  the  Libertines  found  patx'ons.  Of  the  sen- 
timents of  this  sect  we  can  learn  nothing  except  through 
the  writings  of  their  adversaries,  who,  in  the  true  spirit  of 
the  age  in  which    they  lived,  have  not  been  sparing  of 

^  Hist,  of  Augustiu  Confession  by  David  Chytraeus. 


60  MODERN  HISTORY  [BookL 

reproaches  and  calumnies.'  Much  as  the  Eeformed  and 
Lutheran  churches  differed  in  some  points,  they  agreed  in 
treating  heretics  with  the  utmost  rigor  and  contempt. 
From  the  writings  of  their  opponents,  we  learn  that  the 
Libertines  considered  God  to  be  the  author  of  all  human 
actions,  and  it  is  said,  but  probably  without  truth,  that 
they  denied  the  distinction  between  good  and  evil.  Relig- 
ion, in  their  view,  consisted  in  the  union  of  the  mind  with 
God  ;  and  they  maintained  that,  all  who  had  arrived  at 
this  happy  union  might  live  without  restraint,  as  all  their 
actions  and  pursuits  would  then  be  perfectly  innocent. 
They  held  that  after  death  men  were  to  be  united  to  the 
Deity. ^  Calvin  was  their  most  eminent  opponent ;  who, 
after  waiting  some  time,  that  the  sect  might  die  of  itself, 
found  it  necessary,  as  it  was  coming  into  royal  favor  in 
France,  to  write  against  it.''  It  flourished  principally  in 
Brabant  and  Holland.     Its  members  professed  to  be  gov- 

^  It  has  been  very  difficult  to  learn  the  sentiments  of  this  sect,  in  con- 
eeqnence  of  the  unsparing  enmity  of  the  Reformers  toward  them.  The 
Catholics  continually  goaded  the  Reformers  with  being  the  cause  of  all 
these  sects,  which  increased  the  rage  against  them.  Probably,  these  so- 
called  Libertines  or  advocates  of  spiritual  liberty,  did  not  all  hold  pre- 
cisely the  same  opinions.  There  seems  to  have  been  a  class  of  men  at 
Geneva  who  bore  that  name,  who  were  not  a  religious  sect  at  all,  and  who 
are  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  friends  of  spiritual  liberty  whom  we 
have  named.  Marcossius  says,  "There  is  another  kind  of  Libertines 
which  i^romise  the  compassion  of  God  to  every  man,  and  even  to  the 
demons  after  judgment."  See  G.  P.  Marcossii  Elenchus  Alphabeticus 
Htereticorum,  Art.  Lib.  He  refers  to  Lindanus  and  also  to  Calvin's 
Book,  against  the  Libertines,  from  which  it  seems  they  flourished  chiefly 
in  Brabant  and  Holland. 

Calvin,  in  his  Instructio  Adversus  Sectam  Libertinorum,  speaks  with 
great  severity  of  the  Libertines,  and  very  much  in  the  strain  in  which 
Universalists  are  spoken  of  in  the  present  day  by  their  opponents.  He 
says,  "  they  pretended  to  receive  the  Scriptures,  turning  it  into  allegories." 
"  They  held  that  man's  soul  was  a  part  of  Deity  and  returned  to  God  at 
death."  There  were  various  sects  of  them  in  Brabant  and  Holland  and 
other  parts  of  Lower  Germany.  Calvin  says,  "  they  consider  the  devil 
and  also  the  angels,  nothing  but  certain  imaginations  without  substance." 
They  believed  the  resurrection  to  be  the  eternal  continuance  of  our  im- 
mortal principle. 

2  Mosheim  Ceu.  xvi.  Part  ii.  Chap.  ii.  38. 

3  See  Calvin's  work,  entitled  "Instructio  Adversus  Sectam  Liberti- 
norum." 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  61 

erned  by  the  influence  of  the  divine  spirit  upon  their  hearts  ; 
and  they  enforced  the  moral  duties  upon  mankind.  The 
common  view  of  the  personal  existence  of  the  devil  they 
rejected,  as  they  did  also  that  of  endless  punishment.^ 

ACCOUNT  OF  DAVID  GEORGE. 

XV.  In  considering  the  Anabaptists,  we  should,  perhaps, 
give  a  particular  attention  to  David  George,  the  founder  of 
a  new  sect,  who  after  him  were  called  Davidians,  and 
Georgians.  He  was  a  native  of  Delft,  and  at  first  an  Ana- 
baptist. His  liberality  and  opulence  joined  to  his  probity 
and  purity  of  manners,  obtained  for  him  a  very  high  esteem, 
which  he  enjoyed  until  his  death.  After  his  decease  he  suf- 
fered considerably  in  his  memory,  by  means  of  charges  pre- 
ferred against  him  by  his  son-in-law,  Nicholas  Blesdyck  ; 
and  the  Senate  of  Basil,  the  place  in  which  he  died,  passed 
sentence  against  him,  and  ordered  that  his  body  be  dug  up 
and  burned.  These  charges,  however,  did  not  affect  his 
reputation  for  virtue  ;  but  respected  erroneous  opinions 
only.  Moshiem  speaks  of  his  character  with  tenderness, 
and  declares  that  his  writings,  and  the  followers  whom  he 
left  behind,  show  that  he  was  a  man  of  much  more  mild- 
ness and  sense  than  had  been  usually  attributed  to  him.*  He 
deplored  the  decline  of  vital  and  practical  religion,  and 
endeavored  to  restore  it  among  his  followers. 

Of  his  religious  opinions  it  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain 
a  tolerable  account.  Whether  he  maintained  the  visionary 
notions  attributed  to  him,  no  one  can  tell.  He  is  said  to 
have  denied  the  existence  of  angels,  the  common  opinion 
of  heaven  and  hell,  and  the  doctrine  of  a  future  judgment. 
Mark,  he  did  not  deny  heaven  and  hell,  in  themselves,  but 
merely  the  common  opinion  concerning  them.     His  follow- 

*  G.  P.  Marcossii  Eknchus  Alphabeticus  Hsereticorum.  Ai't.  Libertinl 
et  Giiostici. 

*  Mosheim  Eccles.  Hist.  Cent.  xvi.  Part  ii.  cliap.  iii.  23. 


62  MODEKN   HISTORY  [I^ook  I. 

ers  existed  for  many  years  in  Holstein,  Friesland  and  other 
countries. 

EXCITEMENT    AGAINST    THE    ANABAPTISTS, 

XVI.  All  these  sects  were  persecuted  by  their  opponents, 
both  civil  and  ecclesiastic,  with  the  most  unrelenting  indig- 
nation. Catholics  and  Protestants,  kings  and  subjects, 
united  in  their  extermination ;  but  perhaps,  after  all,  we 
must  award  the  palm  of  pre-eminence  in  this  cruel  under- 
taking, to  the  Reformers  themselves.  In  extenuation  of  this, 
some  have  plead  that  the  Anabaptists  were  seditious,  and 
aimed  at  the  overthrow  of  all  human  government,  a  charge 
which  can  perhaps  be  sustained  against  a  small  part  of 
them.  But  those  who  had  no  such  designs,  who  held  it 
unlawful  to  bear  arms,  and  who  desired  to  throw  off  human 
authority  in  matters  of  religion  only,  were  condemned  to 
the  most  extreme  suffering.'  Luther  cried  aloud  for  the 
suppression  of  these  sects  ;  and  the  mild  Melancthon,  with 
all  the  principal  Reformers,  assisted  in  refuting  their  doc- 
trines, and  bringing  them  to  punishment.  There  is  no  diffi- 
culty in  accounting  for  the  conduct  of  the  Reformers  in  this 
particular.  They  were  fearful  that  the  Reformation  would 
be  brought  into  disrepute,  and  this  fear  was  increased  bj? 
the  continual  clamor  of  the  Catholics,  that  the  increase  of 
sects  was  wholly  to  be  attributed  to  that  event.  Moreover, 
the  opinions  of  the  Reformers  were  called  in  question  by 
those  who,  in  throwing  off  the  authority  of  the  Pope,  held 
it  as  a  right  to  form  their  judgment  without  accountability 
to  any  body  of  men.  Here  were  two  classes  of  men, 
somewhat   antagonistic,    namely,    the   leading   Reformers, 

^  "It  is  much  to  be  lamented,"  says  Mosheim,  "that  so  little  distinc- 
tion was  made  between  the  members  of  this  sect,  when  the  sword  of 
justice  was  unsheathed  against  them.  Why  were  the  innocent  and  the 
guilty  involved  in  the  same  fate?  Why  were  doctrines  purely  theological, 
or,  at  worst  fanatical,  punished  with  the  same  rigor  that  was  shown  to 
crimes  inconsistent  with  the  peace  and  welfare  of  civil  society?"  Cen. 
xvi.  Sec.  iii.  Part  ii. 


A.  D.  1520.]  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  63 

and  the  minor  sects.  With  the  same  arguments  by  which 
Luther  and  his  followers  justified  themselves  iu  dissenting 
from  the  Catholic  Church,  did  the  Anabaptists  assert  the 
privilege  of  differing  from  others  ;  and  when  the  Protestants 
railed  because  the  Anabaptists  ventured  to  set  up  new 
dogmas  and  introduce  new  divisions,  it  was  very  natural 
to  apply  their  own  arguments  to  their  great  disadvantage. 
Inspired  with  the  common  zeal  to  read  the  Scriptures,  the 
new  sects  made  themselves  very  familiar  with  the  letter  at 
least,  and  divine  authority  was  adduced  in  the  one  case  as 
much  as  in  the  other.  Had  the  leading  Protestants  justi- 
fied the  Anabaptists  in  asserting  new  opinions,  deploring,  at 
the  same  time,  if  they  felt  themselves  obliged,  that  these 
opinions  were  erroneous,  they  would  not  have  put  into  the 
hand^  of  the  Catholics  that  weapon  by  which  themselves 
were  so  frequently  wounded.  But  it  constitutes  a  striking 
contradiction  in  their  character,  that  while  they  maintained 
their  right  to  separate  from  the  Mother  Church,  and  to 
express  and  maintain  their  opinions,  they  justified  the 
Infliction  of  penalties  on  those  who  refused  to  conform  to 
the  Protestant  standards  of  faith  and  worship. 

HOW    THEY    WEBE    PERSECUTED. 

XVII.  Pursuant  to  these  feelings,  measures  were  imme- 
diately taken  to  suppress  the  Anabaptist  sects.  Severe 
edicts  were  issued  against  them,  and,  at  length,  capital 
punishments  were  resorted  to.  As  early  as  1525,  penal 
laws  were  enacted  to  suppress  them  in  Saxony,  which  were 
several  times  renewed  in  succeeding  years.  The  Emperor 
Charles  V.  in  the  years  1527  and  1529,  joined  in  the  work 
of  proscription  and  death.  The  magistrates  of  Switzer- 
land, disposed  at  first  to  lenity  and  indulgence,  soon  lost 
their  mildness,  and  exercised  their  power  by  denouncing 
the  punishment  of  death  against  the  common  offenders.' 

*  Mosheim,  Cen.  xvi.  Part  ii.  chap.  iii.  6. 


64  MODERN  HISTORY  [Book  1. 

Not  only  in  these  places,  but  in  nearly  all  the  countries  of 
Europe,  the  Anabaptists  endured  the  most  cruel  and  rigor- 
ous treatment.  They  were  imprisoned,  banished,  slain  by 
the  sword  and  burned.  The  innocent  and  guilty  were  in- 
volved in  the  same  destruction.  Those  whose  only  fault 
consisted  in  unsoundness  of  faith,  met  a  like  fate  with  such 
as  were  seditious  and  treasonable.  Many  of  these  had 
embraced  their  doctrines  in  the  utmost  sincerity,  and 
labored  to  produce  what  they  thought  was  a  needful  re- 
formation in  the  lives  and  manners  of  men.  But  little  dis- 
tinction was  made.  Incurable  heretics  who  were  loyal 
subjects,  were  involved  in  a  common  extermination  with 
those  who  desired  to  overthrow  the  civil  institutions  of 
the  world. 

The  descendants  of  these  unhappy  men  have  preserved 
voluminous  records  of  their  numbers,  names,  lives  and 
sufferings.  The  instances  which  they  afforded  of  devotion 
to  their  principles,  even  while  burning,  are  indeed  worthy 
of  preservation.  They  bore  their  afflictions  with  a  meek- 
ness and  an  intrepidity  which  are  rarely  accompanied  with 
insincerity.  Nor  did  these  persecutions  arrest  the  increase 
of  their  numbers,  for  they  seem  to  have  had  the  most 
adherents  while  the  tempest  of  persecution  was  at  its 
height.  Zuinglius,  who  seems  in  this  instance  to  have  lost 
his  accustomed  benevolence  and  liberality,  asserted  that 
he  who  repeated  the  ordinance  of  baptism  should  be 
drowned.  All  the  principal  Reformers  wrote  against  them, 
and  the  most  energetic  measures  were  taken  to  procure 
their  condemnation  by  all  ecclesiastical  bodies. 

SUFFERED    NOT    SOLELY    FOR    UNIVERSALISM. 

XVIII.  It  should  not  be  thought,  however,  that  these 
sects  suffered  solely  for  believing  in  the  doctrine  of  Uni- 
versal Salvation.  How  extensively  the  sentiment  was 
received  among  them  is  not  known  ;  and  it  is  certain  that 
their  views  concerning  baptism  were  as  obnoxious  as  any 


A.  D.  1520.]  OP  UNTVERSALISM.  65 

article  of  their  faith.  Yet  they  were  regarded  as  worthy 
of  special  coudemation  in  the  Augustin  Confession/  for 
believing  in  the  eventual  restoration  of  all  men  to  holiness 
and  happiness.  The  Papists,  in  their  reply  to  the  Confess- 
ion, found  it  to  he  one  of  those  few  things  in  which  they 
could  agree  with  the  Protestants,  to  denounce  those  who 
held  that  the  mercy  of  God  is  over  all  his  works,  and  that 
he  will  finally  crown  them  with  universal  blessedness.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark  here,  that  the  doctrine  of  endless 
misery  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  doctrine  of  the  Reformation. 
For  although,  as  we  have  seen,  Universalism  was  con- 
demned in  the  Confession,  the  Reformers  were  not  distin- 
guished by  the  assertion  of  endless  misery  from  the 
Catholics,  as  they  were  by  maintaining  the  supi-eme 
authority  of  the  word  of  God,  and  the  right  of  private 
judgment.      For  ten   centuries  the   Catholic  Church  had 

*  Luther  and  Melancthon  were  the  authors  of  the  Augustin  Confession. 
That  the  religious  opinions  of  the  Protestants,  and  their  grounds  of  com- 
plaint against  the  Church  of  Rome,  might  be  made  known  to  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  at  the  diet  which  commenced  at  Augsburg,  June,  1530,  the 
Elector  of  Saxony  directed  Luther  and  other  eminent  divines  to  com- 
mit them  to  writing.  The  first  draft  contained  seventeen  articles,  and 
was  pi-esented  to  the  Elector  at  Torgaw ;  but  it  being  desirable  that  the 
Protestants  should  express  their  views  with  great  mildness,  and  more  in 
detail,  Melancthon  was  appointed  to  extend  the  articles.  Although  the 
Confession  was  from  the  pen  of  Melancthon,  he  showed  a  great  regard  to 
the  counsels  of  Luther  in  drafting  it. 

The  following  is  the  seventeenth  article. 

Art.  xvii.  Item  docent,  quod  Christus  apparebit  in  consummatione 
mundi  ad  judicandum,  et  mortuos  omnes  i-esuscitijbit,  piis  et  electis  dabit 
vitam  seternam  et  perpetua  gaudia,  impios  autem  homines  ac  diabolus 
condemnabit,  ut  sine  fiue  crucientur. 

Damnant  Anabaptistas,  qui  sentiunt,  hominibus  damnatis  ac  diabolis 
finem  poenarum  futurum  esse.  Damnant  et  alios,  qui  nunc  spargunt 
Judaicas  opiniones,  quod  ante  resurrectionem  mortuorum,  pii  regnum 
mundi  occupaturi  sint,  ubiq ;  oppressis  impiis.  Hist,  of  Aug.  Confess,  by 
David  ChytriBus. 

In  respect  to  this  condemnation,  Rev.  Dr.  Sawyer  says:  It  is  probably 
known  to  most  of  my  readers  that,  from  the  very  beginning  of  the  Refor- 
mation, Universalism  has  found  believers  and  advocates  in  Germany  as 
well  as  in  England.  Although  it  seems  to  be  pointedly  condemned  in  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  article  in  which  its 
condemnation  was  pronounced,  was  probably  levelled  far  more  at  the 
Anabaptists,  some  of  whom  held  the  doctrine  in  question,  than  against 
the  doctrine  itself.  This,  at  least,  appears  to  be  the  opinion  of  Reinhard, 
■who  is,  therefore,  little  disposed  to  construe  that  article  so  rigidly  as 
American  Orthodoxy  would  require. 


66  MODERN   HISTORY  [BookT. 

asserted  the  eternal  ruin  of  all  those  who  died  out  of  its 
communion  ;  hence,  the  doctrine  of  endless  torment  is  not 
a  doctrine  of  the  Reformation :  it  was  one  of  those  foul 
spots  which  were  cast  upon  the  fair  garments  of  the 
Church  as  she  descended  into  the  valley  of  corruption, 
from  which  those  failed  to  cleanse  her  whose  half-opened 
eyes  had  never  seen  her  entire  glory. 

The  doctrines  of  the  Eeformation  cannot  certainly  be 
such  doctrines  as  had  generally  prevented  that  great  event ; 
not  even  if  the  Reformers  held  such  doctrines  afterwards. 
Those  doctrines  only  are  worthy  the  significant  title,  "  doc- 
trines of  the  Reformation,"  which  gave  birth  to  the  Eefor- 
mation, and  by  the  belief  of  which  its  friends  were 
distinguished  from  its  enemies. 

THEIR    PERSECUTIONS    SPREAD    THEIR    SENTIMENTS. 

XIX.  The  severe  treatment  which  the  Anabaptists  re- 
ceived, was  the  means  of  dispersing  them  abroad.  Some 
were  driven  from  their  homes  by  banishment,  others  fled 
from  the  gathering  storm.  Wherever  they  went  they  car- 
ried their  sentiments  with  them  ;  and  zeal  in  their  defence 
was  quickened  by  their  sufferings.  At  length  arose  Menno, 
a  convert  from  Popery,  who  at  first  privately,  and  after- 
wards openly,  with  the  greatest  devotion,  espoused  the 
cause  of  these  injured  men.  He  ti-avelled  from  country  to 
country,  correcting  their  errors,  and  encouraging  their 
hearts.  He  condemned  the  views  which  some  entertained 
of  the  rise  of  a  spiritual  kingdom  in  the  world,  upon  the 
ruins  of  all  civil  government.  He  retained  their  sentiments 
concerning  baptism,  the  thousand  years  reign  of  Christ 
upon  the  earth,  (with  which  they  had  associated  that  of 
Universal  Restitution)  and  also  concerning  the  injustice 
of  war,  and  the  unlawfulness  of  oaths.  The  followers  of 
Menno  still  exist  in  some  European  countries,  particularly 
in  Holland  ;  and  also  in  the  United  States  ;  nor  have  they 
forgotten  the  faith  of  their  fathers,  for  if  the   authority  of 


A.  D.  1530.]  •  OP   UNIVERSALISM.  67 

Evans  and  Adam  is  to  be  depended  on,  they  "  have  long 
held  the  doctrine  of  the  Restoration."  ^ 

*  Mr.  Adam's  words  are,  "  The  Mennonites  in  Holland  have  long  held 
the  doctrine  of  the  Universalists;  the  people  called  Bunkers  or  Tunkers  in 
America,  descended  from  the  German  Baptists,  hold  it,  and  also  the 
Shakers."  See  his  Religious  World  Displayed,  Vol.  iii.  p.  387.  But  Rev. 
Morgan  Edwards  says,  in  his  history  of  the  Baptists  in  Pennsylvania, 
"  The  Mennonists  do'not,  like  the  Tunkers,  hold  the  doctrine  of  general 
salvation;  yet,  like  them,  they  will  neither  swear  (make  oath)  nor  fight, 
nor  bear  any  civil  office,  nor  go  to  law,  &c."  See  his  History  (Ed.  of  1770), 
Vol.  i.  p.  94.  Thus  it  would  seem,  that  if  the  Mennonites  in  Holland  held 
to  universal  restitution,  the  branch  that  was  brought  over  to  this  country, 
did  not  continue  to  draw  sap  from  the  parent  vine.  It  is  difficult  to  get  at 
the  exact  truth.  All  we  can  say  is,  that  some  of  the  German  Anabaptists 
held  to  the  universal  restitution;  and  carried  it  with  them  wherever 
they  fled.  They  must  have  cherished  that  doctrine  for  nearly  two  hundred 
years  in  Europe;  for  the  Tunkers,  who  came  into  America  in  1720  and 
1730,  brought  it  with  them.  See  the  History  of  Universalism  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  the  latter  part  of  this  work. 


BOOK    II. 

THE  REFORMATION  IN  ENGLAND ;  SPREAD  OF  THE  PRINCIPLES 

OF  THE  ANABAPTISTS  AND  OTHER  SECTS;  AND  THEIR 

CONDEMNATION. 

[From  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  to  that  of  Elizabeth, 
A.  D.  1500  to  1562.] 

The  Reformation  at  first  opposed  by  Henry  VHI. ;  He  denounces  the  Pope 
and  favors  the  Reformation ;  Cranmer  made  Archbishop  and  favors  the 
Reformation;  TransLation  of  the  Bible  by  authority  of  the  King;  The 
Reformation  progresses  during  the  reign  of  Edward  VI. ;  New  sects 
spring  up  in  England;  Universalism  makes  its  appearance;  The  new 
Sects  opposed  by  the  Refoi'mers;  The  Anabaptists  prevail  extensively; 
The  Forty-two  Articles  set  up  as  a  standard  of  national  faith ;  Death  of 
Edward  —  Accession  of  Mary ;  Accession  of  Elizabeth,  and  change  in 
the  articles;  Universalism,  no  heresy  in  the  Church  since  that  change. 

REFORMATION    AT    FIRST    OPPOSED     BY    HENRY    VIII. 

I.  It  was  near  the  beginning'  of  the  reign  of  the  notori- 
ous Henry  VIII.  that  the  Reformation  commenced  in 
England.  Like  the  rest  of  the  Eui'opean  countries,  this 
kingdom  had  been  gradually  induced,  in  former  years,  to 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  Pope,  and  to  assist  in 
supporting  his  power  and  dignity.  But,  at  the  time  of 
which  we  write,  the  vices  of  the  clergy  attracted  great 
attention  ;  and  a  disposition  arose  as  soon  in  this  country 
as  in  anj'  other,  among  the  controllers  of  civil  matters,  to 
expose  the  wickedness  of  ecclesiastics,  and  set  bounds 
to  their  power.  The  art  of  printing  had  been  introduced 
into  England  as  early  as  1464,  by  the  joint  means  of  Henry 
VII.  and  Archbishop  Bourchier,  which  had  tended,  in  no 
small  degree,  to,  enlighten  the  people,  and  to  give  them 
that  taste  for  improvement  which  it  is  certain  they  so  much 

69 


70  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  H. 

needed.  When  this  monarch  obtained  a  confirmation  of 
his  disputed  title  to  the  Crown  of  England,  his  opponents 
did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  Pope  could  not  give  him  a 
title  which  he  had  not  in  reality  ;  and  it  cannot  be  denied 
that  with  respect  to  civil  matters,  the  power  of  the  Pope 
had  been  very  sensibly  diminished.  But  between  the  Church 
of  England  and  that  of  Rome,  there  was  perhaps  as  perfect 
a  union  at  the  accession  of  HenTy  VIII.  as  there  had  been 
in  any  preceding  reign.  The  followers  of  Wickliffe  were 
persecuted,  and  some  of  them  suffered  death  ;  the  use  of 
Tyndal's  translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  English, 
was  prohibited  by  every  Bishop  in  his  diocese  ;  and  great 
care  was  taken  to  suppress  books  in  favor  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, which  had  begun  to  come  into  England,  with  con- 
siderable profusion,  from  Germany.  Henry  VIII.  had  been 
educated  by  his  father  for  the  Church  ;  and  when,  upon  the 
death  of  his  brother  Arthur,  he  became  heir  apparent,  he 
was  kept  to  his  studies,  lest  his  restless  and  fiery  spirit 
should  induce  him  to  set  up  a  dangerous  competition  for 
the  crown,  which  devolved  on  him,  through  the  line  of  the 
house  of  York,  by  the  death  of  his  mother.^  Thus  quali- 
fied for  a  theologian  according  to  the  forms  and  usages  of 
that  period,  Henry  felt  in  himself  the  ability  to  manage 
disputes  of  a  religious  as  well  as  a  secular  character  ;  and 
when  the  works  of  Luther  reached  England,  he  stepped 
forth  as  the  champion  of  the  Church,  to  defend  her  against 
the  attacks  of  the  Reformer.  He  wrote  a  book  in  Latin 
for  that  purpose,  of  which  a  copy,  very  richly  bound,  was 
presented  by  an  ambassador  to  the  Pope.  Engaged  in  a 
dispute  with  France,  the  Holy  Father  stood  in  great  need 
at  that  time  of  Henry's  assistance  ;  and  knowing  his  vanity, 
he  believed  he  could  in  no  other  manner  please  him  so  well 
as  to  bestow  upon  his  book  the  highest  strains  of  praise, 
and  honor  him  with  some  new  and  flattering  appendage  to 

*  Warner's  Ecclesiastical  History  of  the  Church  of  England. 


A.  D.  1530.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAKD.  71 

his  name.  He,  therefore,  called  his  Cardinals  together, 
and  after  a  long  debate,  it  was  agreed  to  confer  upon  Henry 
the  title  of  Defender  of  the  Faith,  which  his  successors  on 
the  English  throne  ever  since  have  borne.  Luther,  daunted 
neither  by  the  Pontiff  nor  his  royal  auxiliary,  answered  the 
King's  work,  and  turned  back-  upon  him  his  torrent  of 
acrimony. 

HENRY  FAVORS  THE  REFORMATION. 

II.  The  arbitrary  will  of  Henry  thus  far  had  decided 
against  the  Reformation  ;  but  his  mind  soon  changed. 
When  the  Court  of  Rome  came  to  oppose  his  wishes  in 
regard  to  a  divorce  from  Catharine,  and  persisted  in  their 
opposition  until  Henry  broke  peace  with  them,  he  used  all 
his  efforts  to  destroy  the  authority  of  the  Pontiff  in  every 
part  of  his  realm.  His  father,  instigated  by  the  love  of 
wealth,  and  not  wishing  to  refund  the  money  he  had 
received  in  part  of  Catharine's  dower,  had  contracted  for 
his  marriage  with  her  ;  but  he,  then  only  in  his  fourteenth 
year,  protested  against  the  consummation  of  a  nuptial  con- 
nection with  his  brother's  widow,  as  being  contrary  to  the 
laws  of  God.  Whether  he  had  serious  doubts,  or  whether 
the  protestations  were  made  for  other  reasons,  cannot  here 
be  considered.  On  the  death  of  the  father,  the  Spanish 
Ambassador  urged  the  marriage  between  the  young  King 
and  Catharine,  and  the  subject  was  debated  in  Council  with 
great  earnestness.  By  those  who  desired  the  connection, 
the  dispensation  which  the  Pope  had  granted  was  urged  in 
favor  of  its  lawfulness,  and  the  matter  was  finally  settled 
in  about  two  months  after  Henry's  accession.  But  the 
union  proved  to  be  neither  a  long  nor  a  happy  one.  In  a 
few  years  the  person  of  the  Queen  became  offensive  to 
him.  He  was  attracted,  too,  and  very  unhappily  at  that 
time,  by  the  beauty  and  accomplishments  of  one  of  her 
maids  of  honor.  To  complete  the  course  of  untoward  cir- 
cumstances, while  treating  with  the  King  of  France  for  the 


72  HISTOEY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  11. 

marriage  of  his  only  daughter,  the  princess  Mary,  to  the 
Duke  of  Orleans,  the  French  Ambassador  demurred  to  the 
legality  of  his  connection  with  Catharine,  and,  of  course, 
to  the  legitimacy  of  the  princess.  Some  one,  if  not  all 
these  reasons,  gave  him  a  desire,  which  was  soon  changed 
to  a  resolution,  to  obtain  a  divorce  from  the  Queen.  He 
made  application  to  the  Pope  for  a  bill  of  divorcement, 
who,  after  a  long  course  of  equivocation,  enraged  Henry 
with  his  delay,  and  induced  him  and  his  friends  to  use  their 
utmost  efforts  to  destroy  the  papal  authority  in  England, 
and  set  up  that  of  the  King  as  Supreme  Head  of  the 
Church.  Here  we  see  the  origin  of  the  Reformation  in 
that  country.  Henry,  however,  had  no  intention  of  re- 
forming the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  as  his  severity  against 
those  who  dissented  from  the  established  faith,  which 
flamed  out  even  after  his  rupture  with  the  Pope,  but  too 
plainly  showed. 

CEANMER    MADE    ARCHBISHOP. 

in.  Among  those  who  devoted  themselves  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  Reformation,  Cranmer,  Archbishop  of 
Cantei'bury,  held  a  conspicuous  place.  He  had  obtained 
the  favor  of  the  King  by  an  early  defence  of  the  unlawful- 
ness of  his  marriage  with  Catharine,  and  particularly  by 
the  book  which  he  had  published  on  that  subject  at  Cam- 
bridge. He  had  visited  Germany  on  the  King's  business, 
where  he  had  read  the  books  of  Luther,  and  become 
acquainted  with  many  of  the  Reformers,  by  whose  means 
he  had  become  convinced  of  the  usurpations  of  the  Pope, 
and  the  errors  of  the  Catholic  Church.  On  the  death  of 
Warham,  Henry  resolved  to  raise  Cranmer  to  the  See  of 
Canterbury.  Cranmer  knew  the  fickleness  of  royal  favor, 
and  he  saw  dangers  of  an  appalling  character,  if  the  king 
should  be  taken  away  ;  so  that  whether  the  king  should 
live  or  die,  he  felt  that  he  brought  himself  into  peril  by 


A.  D.  1532.]  mnVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  73 

accepting  the  high  office  to  which  he  was  called.  Obeying 
the  call  of  his  Sovereign  therefore  with  great  reluctance, 
he  returned  from  Germany  ;  and  providing  himself  with 
an  inefficient  salvo  to  his  conscience,  he  took  the  oath 
of  obedience  to  the  Pope,  and  was  advanced  to  the  Arch- 
bishoprick.  Soon  the  variance  between  the  King  and  the 
Pontiflf  grew  to  an  irreconcilable  difficulty  ;  the  King  was 
excommunicated  ;  and,  in  return,  he  left  no  means  untried 
to  extirpate  the  authority  of  his  eminent  adversary  from 
the  kingdom.* 

While  the  King  aimed  at  nothing  more  than  transferring 
the  power  which  the  Pope  possessed  over  the  English 
Church  into  his  own  hands,  it  was  the  desire  of  Cranmer  to 
reform  its  doctrines,  and  diffuse  the  knowledge  of  pure 
religion  among  the  people.  He  used  his  influence,  there- 
fore, to  obtain  the  King's  consent  for  a  translation  of  the 
Bible  into  the  English  language.  There  was  much  division 
in  the  minds  of  the  Bishops  on  the  propriety  of  placing 
the  Bible  in  the  hands  of  the  people  generally.  Those 
opposed,  endeavored  to  convince  the  King,  that  such  a 
measure  would  introduce  new  heresies,  puff  up  the  people 
with  the  pride  of  their  own  opinions,  and  thereby  diminish 
their  reverence  for  him  as  Supreme  Head  of  the  Church. 
The  other  class,  with  Cranmer  at  their  head,  directing  their 
arguments  also  to  the  vanity  of  the  King,  assured  him  that 
nothing  would  exalt  him  so  highly  in  the  esteem  of  his 
subjects,  as  a  desire  to  instruct  them  in  the  principles  of 
religion  ;  and  moreover,  that  when  they  came  to  read  for 
themselves,  they  would  see  that  the  ungodly  power  which 
the  Pope  had  exercised  was  not  granted  to  him  in  the  word 
of  God.  The  latter  argument  prevailed  with  the  King, 
and  he  gave  orders  for  a  new  translation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. 


^  Nearly  the  whole  of  this  account  of  the  Reformation  in  England,  is 
abridged  from  Warner's  Eccles.  Hist,  of  the  Church  of  England,  to  which 
the  author  confesses  himself  much  indebted. 


74  HISTOEY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [BookIL 

TRANSLATION    OF    THE    BIBLE,    BY    AUT^OEITY    OF    THE    KING. 

IV.  This  was  the  first  translation  which  was  made  by 
authority,  though  the  Bible  had  been  several  times  trans- 
lated into  English  before,  and  some  persons  had  suffered 
for  attempting  the  work.  Wickliffe,  in  1360,  prepared  a 
translation,  which  was  never  in  general  use.  Nearly  two 
centuries  had  transpired,  when  Tyndal  and  Coverdale 
translated  and  printed  the  New  Testament  in  English  ;  but 
in  consequence  of  some  1-eflections  cast  upon  the  clergy  in 
the  preface  and  notes,  it  was  suppressed  and  burnt.  With 
an  invincible  resolution  to  spread  a  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures,  Tyndal  translated  the  whole  Bible,  except  the 
Apocrypha,  and  printed  it  abroad  ;  but  while  preparing  a 
second  edition,  he  was  seized,  and  burnt  in  Flanders  for 
his  adherence  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation.  The 
work  he  had  undertaken  was  carried  on  by  his  former 
associate.  Miles  Coverdale  and  John  Rogers,  the  first 
martyr  in  Queen  Mary's  reign,  who  was  then  minister  of 
an  English  Church  in  Germany.  They  translated  the 
Apocrypha,  revised  Tyndal's  translation,  comparing  it 
with  the  Hebrew,  Greek,  Latin  and  German  ;  and,  making 
free  use  of  Luther's  Bible,  they  added  prefaces  and  notes. 
This  has  usually  been  called  Matthews'  Bible,  because 
Rogers  dedicated  it  to  the  King  of  England,  under  the 
assumed  name  of  Thomas  Matthews.  A  degree  of  royal 
favor  was  shown  to  this  tianslation,  but  it  was  soon  suc- 
ceeded by  the  one  that  was  published  under  authority. 
Henry  directed  that  a  copy  of  the  latter  should  be  placed 
in  each  parish  Church,  where,  according  to  Hume,  it  was 
fixed  by  a  chain.  The  King  issued  a  proclamation,  acquaint- 
ing the  people  that  the  permission  to  read  the  Bible  was  an 
act  of  his  goodness,  and  not  of  his  duty  ;  and  that  they 
were  to  read  it  not  for  dispute  and  wrangling,  nor  to  ex- 
pound difficult  passages  without  the  assistance  of  the 
learned.     In  a  short  time  after,  permission  was  given  them 


A.  D.  1547.]  DNITEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  75 

to  read  the  Bible  at  their  houses,  as  many  had  been  deter- 
red from  a  free  use  of  it  at  the  churches  by  the  fear  of 
laying  themselves  under  the  suspicion  of  heresy.  We 
must  award  to  Cranmer  the  praise  of  using  all  his  influence 
in  pursuading  the  king  to  grant  the  people  the  privilege  of 
reading  the  Scriptures.  This  was  a  task  of  no  little 
danger,  since  it  was  zealously  opposed  by  the  Popish 
Bishops,  who  by  flattery  and  cunning  produced  much  effect 
upon  Henry's  mind  ;  and  his  favor  was  so  easily  extin- 
guished by  insinuations  and  suspicions,  that  those  who 
possessed  his  confidence,  if  such  it  might  have  been  called, 
could  not  place  any  great  reliance  upon  it.  Under  these 
circumstances.  Archbishop  Cranmer  did  not  hesitate  to 
aid  the  Reformation.  He  assisted  in  revising  the  trans- 
lation of  the  Bible  ;  and  whenever  he  had  a  prospect  of 
success,  urged  the  King  to  those  measures  which  had  a 
tendency  to  enlighten  the  people,  and  open  their  eyes  to 
the  abuses  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He  had  the  mortifica- 
tion, however,  in  a  short  time,  to  see  the  use  of  the  new 
translation,  forbidden  by  proclamation,  and  the  books  of 
some  of  the  Reformers  called  in  and  burnt.  Tiiere  was 
still  another  check  to  the  Reformation.  Learning  had  not 
been  diffused  among  the  people,  and  very  few  of  them 
could  read,  so  that  but  a  small  number  had  it  in  their  power 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  privilege  which  the  zeal  of  the 
Archbishop  had  obtained  for  theni.  Heresies  had  been 
frequently  punished  with  death  during  Henry's  reign,  and 
many  were  hindered  from  reading  the  books  of  the  Reform- 
ers, and  even  the  Bible,  through  fear  of  the  stake.  When 
suspicion  had  become  excited,  and  a  man's  enemies  had 
resolved  on  his  destruction,  there  was  but  little  hope  of 
deliverance.  The  power  which  the  King  possessed  was  as 
absolute  as  that  which  had  ever  been  claimed  by  the  Pope; 
the  king  was,  in  fact,  the  Pope  of  that  nation.  There  was 
a  strong  party  opposed  to  all  innovations,  at  the  head  of 
which  several  of  the  Bishops  were  known  to  stand.     Each 


76  HISTORY  or  UNTVERSALISM.  [Book  U. 

party  pursued  its  purpose,  success  crowning  sometimes  the 
one,  and  sometimes  the  other.  At  the  death  of  Henry, 
power  between  them  was  nearly  balanced  ;  but  in  the 
accession  of  Edward  VI.,  the  Papists  had  but  little  to  hope 
in  favor  of  their  cause. 

KEFOKMATION    PROGRESSES     IN    THE    REIGN    OF    EDWARD. 

V.  Edward  VI.  came  to  the  throne  at  the  age  of  nine  ; 
and  having  been  educated  by  preceptors  of  Cranmer's 
sentiments,  he  desired  the  advancement  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. The  Archbishop  stood  first  among  the  sixteen 
executors  who  had  been,  by  the  will  of  the  late  King, 
entrusted  with  the  government  of  the  kingdom  during  the 
minority  of  Edward  ;  and  relieved  from  his  servitude  to 
Henry,  he  resolved  with  greater  zeal  to  set  about  a  further 
improvement  in  ecclesiastical  matters.  He  had,  however, 
powerful  enemies  yet  to  contend  with.  At  the  head  of  the 
opposite  party  was  the  princess  Mary,  afterward  of  notori- 
ous memory,  the  Earl  of  Southampton,  Bishops  Tonstal, 
Bonner  and  Gardner,  with  several  others.  It  was  Cran- 
mer's  wish  to  proceed  by  sure  and  slow  degrees ;  but  the 
Reformers,  finding  they  had  the  King,  the  Protector,  and 
the  Primate  in  their  favor,  pressed  their  wishes  with  such 
zeal  as  to  produce  some  disorders.  The  cruel  laws  which 
had  been  enacted  in  the  past  reign,  and  which  prevented 
the  progress  of  reform,  were  now  repealed.  To  supply 
the  want  of  good  preachers,  a  book  of  homilies  to  be  read 
in  the  churches  was  composed,  and  a  general  visitation 
was  appointed,  that  proper  rules  might  be  set  up  in  every 
place,  and  the  prevailing  evils  corrected.  Subjects  of  dis- 
pute were  freely  introduced  into  the  pulpit,  and  a  bold  and 
invigorating  spirit  of  inquiry  began  generally  to  prevail. 

The  Bible,  translated  into  English,  being  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  people,  they  were  prompted  by  the  exhorta- 
tions of  many  of  the  clergy,  as  well  as  by  their  own  incli- 
nations, to  make  themselves  acquainted  with  its  contents. 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  17 

The  friends  of  the  Eeformation  were  persuaded,  that  a 
diffusion  of  the  true  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures  would  be 
a  vast  advantage  to  the  cause  they  wished  to  promote  ; 
hence  they  made  frequent  appeals  to  this  book  against  the 
enormities  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  entreated  the  peo- 
ple to  study  it,  as  they  would  therein  find  a  confirmation  of 
the  truth  of  the  new  doctrines.  While  many  discourage- 
ments were  thrown  in  the  way  of  the  Popish  Priests,  those 
who  favored  the  Reformation  enjoyed  peculiar  favor  and 
preached  under  special  license ;  and  seeing  that  the 
arbitrary  interpretations  given  to  the  Bible  by  the  former 
were  lessening  daily  in  public  estimation,  they  did  not  hesi- 
tate, with  loud  exhortations,  to  call  private  judgment  into 
exercise.  These  measures  were  seconded  by  the  wish  of  the 
Reformers  to  make  religion  a  concern  of  the  understanding, 
and  abolish  mummery  and  form.  The  Church  services 
which  had  formerly  been  in  Latin,  were  now  performed  in 
English ;  and  attention  was  turned  from  images,  from 
crosses,  from  relics,  and  from  legends,  to  the  contemplation 
of  subjects  of  far  greater  importance.  Such  a  change 
brought  the  Bible  more  into  use,  and  men  began  to  feel 
that  religion  was  a  mattev  of  each  one's  own  knowledge 
and  conscience,  to  the  examination  and  performance  of 
which  he  should  attend  for  himself,  and  not  commit  them 
to  others. 

NEW    SECTS    SPRING    UP    IN    ENGLAND. 

VI.  This  alteration  of  public  customs  and  the  efforts  of 
the  Reformers  to  spread  a  knowledge  of  the  word  of  God, 
produced  in  England  precisely  the  same  effects  that  like 
causes  had  produced  in  Germany.  That  bold  spirit  which 
it  was  necessary  to  cultivate  to  induce  the  people  to  throw 
off  the  errors  of  Popery,  was  not,  nor  could  it  be  confined 
within  those  limits  which  the  leading  Reformers  had  pre- 
scribed for  it.  It  was  their  wish,  and  that  of  Cranmer  in 
particular,  to  proceed  slowly,  to  conform  in  some  measure 
7* 


78  HISTOEY  OP  UNIVERSALISM.  Book  11. 

to  the  prejudices  of  the  Papists,  and  to  avoid  the  extremes 
of  Reformation.  This,  he  thought,  was  the  most  likely  to 
be  lasting.  He  wished  rather,  by  the  help  of  government, 
to  set  up  a  barrier  against  the  return  of  Popery,  than  to 
correct  all  the  prevailing  speculative  errors.  He  was  afraid 
of  bringing  unnecessary  odium  on  the  Protestant  cause  by 
attempting  too  much  at  once.  But  had  the  Reformers  good 
reason  to  suppose  they  could  restrain  that  high  tide  of 
feeling  which  they  had  set  in  motion  ?  and  when  they  cut 
the  moorings  of  the  unsteady  barque  of  popular  faith,  (by 
which  the  Pope  had  long  held  it  under  his  power,)  and 
surrendered  it  to  the  current  of  Reformation,  what  good 
assurance  could  they  have  that  it  would  stop  at  the  point 
which  they  proposed  ?  The  irresistible  course  of  improve- 
ment did  not  admit  of  it.  Many  propagated  new  opinions, 
which  were  heresies  in  the  estimation  of  the  Protestant 
King  and  his  Council,  as  well  as  in  that  of  the  Papists. 
An  enthusiastic  strain  of  devotion  succeeded  to  the  dull 
rites  and  exterior  observances  of  the  ancient  religion. 
"  Many  circumstances,"  says  Hume,  "  concurred  to  inflame 
this  daring  spirit ;  the  novelty  itself  of  their  doctrines,  the 
triumph  of  making  proselytes,  the  furious  persecutions  to 
which  they  were  sometimes  exposed,  and  their  animosity 
against  the  ancient  tenets  and  practices."  All  those  who 
could  read  the  Scriptures,  would  of  themselves  judge  of 
their  contents  ;  and  they  very  frequently  came  to  different 
results  in  forming  their  opinions  from  those  of  the  principal 
Reformers.  This  caused  a  number  of  new  sects  to  arise  in 
the  kingdom,  differing  essentially  in  the  points  of  their 
faith  from  Archbishop  Cranmer  and  his  associates.  Nor  is  it 
at  all  surprising  that  many  strange  and  whimsical  notions 
should  have  prevailed.^     The  people  had  heard  what  little 

*  "  Nothing  more  forwarded  the  first  progress  of  the  Reformers,  than  the 
oiFer  which  they  made  of  submitting  all  religious  docti-ines  to  private 
judgment,  and  the  summons  given  every  one  to  examine  the  principles 
formerly  imposed  upon  him."     Hume,  chap,  xxxi 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVEESALISM    IN   ENGLAND.  79 

Scripture  they  were  acquainted  with,  interpreted  with  the 
greatest  license  ;  reason  and  calmness  maintained  but  a 
distant  connection  with  religion  ;  just  rules  of  criticism 
were  very  little  known,  and  biblical  learning,  such  as  now 
receives  that  appellation,  was  little  thought  of.  It  is  also 
reasonable  to  suppose,  that  some,  losing  their  attachment 
to  what  had  been  considered  sound,  and^judgiug  of  the 
meaning  of  the  sacred  writings  without  prejudice,  would 
come  to  just  conclusions.  Upon  these  suppositions  we 
very  naturally  and  readily  account  for  that  general  out- 
breaking of  sects  which  happened  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation,  and  of  the  distribution  of  the  Scriptures 
among  the  people  ;  and  in  examining  the  pages  of  ecclesi- 
astical history,  we  find  that  we  might  expect  a  variety  of 
opinions  strange  and  new,  some  of  more,  some  of  less 
extravagance,  and  some  rational  and  some  scriptural. 
Thomas  Becon,  a  Chaplain  to  Cranmer,  lamented  the  rise 
of  these  sects  in  the  following  strain,  which  the  Papists 
with  great  readiness  applied  to  all  the  Protestants  :  "  What 
wicked  and  ungodly  opinions  are  there  sown  now-a-daj^s 
of  the  Anabaptists,  Davidians,  Libertines,  and  such  other 
pestilent  sects,  in  the  hearts  of  the  people,  unto  the  great 
disquieting  of  Christ's  Church,  moving  rather  unto  sedition, 
than  unto  pure  religion,  unto  heresy  than  unto  things 
Godly."  1 

But  there  is  yet  another  circumstance  which  contributed 
very  essentially  to  the  rise  of  these  sects  in  England. 
INIanj'-of  the  German  Protestants  had  come  to  that  country, 
and  labored  assiduousl}'^  to  cultivate  their  opinions.  Re- 
furmatioii  having  begun  in  both  countries,  a  free  intercourse 
was  maintained  between  them.  Several  Reformers  of 
eminence  moved  into  England,  and  to  some  of  them  places 


*  Becon's  work  was  entitled  Jewel  of  Joy.    See  Strype's  Memorials  of 
Archbishop  X]rannier,  Book  ii.  Chap.  33. 


80  HISTOEY    OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  II. 

were  assigned  in  the  Universities.^  The  persecution  which 
was  carried  on  against  the  Anabaptists  and  other  sects  in 
Germany  and  the  Low  Countries,  drove  many  of  them 
abroad  for  security.  They  had  a  hope,  perhaps,  that  the 
vigor  with  which  the  Reformation  was  pushed  in  England, 
and  the  repeal  of  the  most  cruel  statutes,  might  save  them 
from  that  destruction  with  which  they  were  threatened  in 
their  own  countries,  and,  therefore,  flocked  thither  to  take 
refuge  under  a  mild  administration,^ 

UNIVERSALISM    MAKES    ITS    APPEARANCE. 

VII.  It  is  at  this  period  we  discover  the  first  traces  of 
Universalism  in  England.  How  extensively  it  was  received 
we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  It  excited  general  atten- 
tion, and  was  thought  worthy  of  special  condemnation  in 

^  Henry,  for  purposes  of  state,  invited  over  the  German  Reformers. 
This  became  generally  known ;  and  the  Protestants  of  all  classes  flocked' 
into  England.     Hume,  chap.  xxxi. 

^  A  tolerable  judgment  of  the  feeling  commonly  possessed  towards 
heretics,  and  of  the  punishment  which  was  thought  proper  for  them,  may 
be  formed  from  the  following  antique  rhyme,  entitled  "  Vain  writers, 
vain  talkers,  luiin  hearer's,'"  written  by  Robert  Crowley,  a  learned  pi'inter, 
in  the  year  1550,  and  placed  among  his  Epigrams;  by  which,  it  is  said, 
"  a  notable  insight  is  given  into  matters,  customs  and  abuses  of  these 
times."     Strype  s  Memorials,  ii.  266. 

Of  late  as  I  lay  and  lacked  my  rest. 
At  such  tyme  as  Titan  drew  fast  to  the  East, 
Thys  saying  of  Christ  came  into  my  mynde, 
Which  certain  and  true  al  maner  men  shal  fynde; 
Of  every  idle  word  ye  shal  give  a  Reckonyng, 
Be  it  spoken  by  Mouth,  or  put  in  Wry  tinge. 
0  Lord,  thought  I  then,  what  case  be  they  in. 
That  talk  and  write  vainly,  and  think  it  no  syn? 
Then  slombered  I  a  little,  and  thought  that  I  saw 
Three  soi'ts  of  vayn  menne  condempned  by  God's  law. 

The  one  was  a  Wryter  of  things  nought  and  vayn, 
And  another  a  Talker;  and  this  was  theyr  payn: 
The  AVryter  had  the  crowne  of  hys  Head  opened. 
Whose  Brayns  with  a  styck  the  Talker  styrred. 
And  he  with  both  hands  drew  the  Talker's  Tongue 
So  that  withowt  hys  Mouth  it  was  a  handful  long: 
The  third  was  a  Herkener  of  fables  and  Lyes, 
Whose  Ears  were  almost  drawn  up  to  hys  Eyes. 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  81 

the  XLII  Articles  of  Faith  which  were  framed  in  the  latter 
part  of  Edward's  reign.  But  the  particular  histories  of 
those  sects  that  received  it,  if  such  were  ever  written, 
have  perished  ;  and  all  the  accounts  we  possess  were  drawn 
up  by  their  enemies,  who  seem  to  have  gloried  in  repre- 
senting them  in  the  worst  possible  character.  The  art  of 
printing  had  been  but  lately  discovered  ;  few  presses  were 
set  up  in  the  Kingdom  ;  and  these  were  placed  entirely 
out  of  the  power  of  that  class  of  people  of  whom  we  are 
speaking,  —  a  circumstance  which  precludes  all  cause  of 
wonder  that  no  histories  of  them,  written  with  impartiality 
and  a  full  knowledge  of  their  sentiments,  have  ever 
appeared. 

THE    NEW    SECTS    OPPOSED    BY    THE    REFORMERS. 

VIII.  Those  who  ventured  to  depart  from  the  doctrines 
of  the  principal  Reformers,  found  themselves  in  the  greatest 
danger  of  suffering  for  heresy,  even  at  the  time  when  the 
Reformation  itself  was  advancing  with  great  success. 
There  were  certain  circumstances  which  prompted  the 
Reformers  to  the  exercise  of  this  rigor.  Reformers  never 
love  to  be  reformed  upon.  And  besides,  the  Catholics  were 
continually  reminding  them,  that  if  they  persisted  in  the 
work  of  innovation,  they  would  not  know  where  to  stop  ; 
that  they  would  split  into  a  thousand  factions,  and  thus  all 
unity  in  faith  would  be  lost.  "  'Tis  a  dangerous  thing," 
said  a  Catholic  Bishop,  "to  use  too  much  freedom  in 
researches  of  this  kind.  If  you  cut  the  old  canal,  the 
water  is  apt  to  run  farther  than  you  have  a  mind  to.  If 
you  indulge  the  humor  of  novelty,  you  cannot  stop  a  peo- 
ple's demands,  nor  govern  their  indiscretions  at  pleasure."^ 
With  respect  to  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  the  Catholics 
in  the  reign  of  Henry,  had  plead,  "that  the  poetical  style 
in  which  a  great  part  of  it  was  composed,  at  the  same  time 

*  Hume. 


82  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALTSM.  [Book  II. 

that  it  occasioned  uncertainty  in  the  sense,  by  its  multiplied 
tropes  and  figures,  was  sufficient  to  kindle  the  zeal  of 
fanaticism,  and  thereby  throw  civil  society  into  the  most 
furious  combustion  :  that  a  thousand  sects  must  arise,  which 
would  pretend  each  of  them  to  derive  its  tenets  from  the 
Scriptures  ;  and  would  be  able  by  specious  arguments  to 
seduce  many  into  a  belief  of  the  most  dangerous  principles. 
And  if  ever  this  disorder,  dangerous  to  the  magistrate  him- 
self, received  a  remedy,  it  must  be  from  the  tacit  acquies- 
cence of  the  people  in  some  new  authority  ;  and  it  was 
evidently  better,  without  farther  contest  and  inquiry,  to 
adhere  peaceably  to  ancient,  and,  therefore,  the  more  secure 
establishments."  *  In  order  to  guard  against  this  danger 
of  which  the  Catholics  forewarned  them,  the  Reformers 
prescribed  certain  limits,  beyond  which  they  would  not  go. 
To  use  the  words  of  a  late  writer,  "the  leading  men 
amongst  them,  seem  to  have  entered  into  a  sort  of  compact 
not  to  transgress  these  limits  themselves,  nor  suffer  them 
to  be  transgressed  by  others.  The  moment,  therefore,  that 
any  one,  more  bold  or  more  enlightened  than  the  rest,  pre- 
sumed to  go  a  single  step  beyond  them,  not  only  Catholics 
but  Protestants,  too,  fell  upon  him  ;  and  the  general  treat- 
ment he  received  from  his  Protestant  brethren  was  even 
more  severe  than  that  which  he  received  from  the  Catholics; 
as  the  former  opposed  him  not  only  as  sinning  against  the 
truth,  but  as  bringing  a  great  scandal  on  the  Reforma- 
tion." ^  The  Reformers  had  their  pride  of  opinion  also  to 
urge  them  on  in  their  opposition  to  the  new  sects.  They, 
it  is  true,  had  departed  from  the  Papal  Church  with  dis- 
cretion ;  but  others  could  not  depart  from  them  without 
great  sin.  For  the  Catholics  to  persecute  them  for  seced- 
ing from  the  mother  Church,  was  a  most  egregious  act  of 
wickedness  ;  but  for  them  to  stop  heresy,  and  bring  those 
to  punishment  who  advanced  farther  than  they,  was  an  act 

*  Hume,  chap.  xxxi.  *  Christian  Disciple 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  83 

of  duty  to  God,  the  Kingdom,  and  the  true  Church.  It  is  a 
fact  which  cannot  be  denied,  that  the  Reformers  set  up  an 
authority  in  matters  of  faith,  very  little  to  be  preferred 
over  that  which  was  maintained  by  the  Catholic  Church  ; 
and  heresy  was  punished  under  them  with  almost  as  much 
severity  as  it  had  been  punished  by  the  Papists. 

THE   ANABAPTISTS    PREVAIL  EXTENSIVELY. 

IX.  The  tenets  of  the  Anabaptists  prevailed  to  such  an 
extent  that  complaint  was  made  to  the  Council  that  they 
were  disseminating  their  errors,  and  making  proselytes  all 
over  the  Kingdom. »  It  was  thought  necessary,  therefore, 
to  issue  a  commission  to  the  Primate,  six  other  Bishops, 
the  Secretaries  of  State,  and  several  divines,  to  search 
after  and  examine  the  heretics.  They  were  instructed  if 
they  could  induce  them  to  recant,  to  enjoin  penance  and 
absolve  them  ;  but  if  they  persisted  in  their  opinions,  to 
excommunicate,  imprison  them,  and  deliver  them  over  to 
the  secular  authority.  Among  those  who  sufiered  was  a 
woman,  called  Joan  of  Kent,  whose  principal  heresy  was  a 

^  Anabaptists.  This  term  comes  from  the  Greek  ara  and  Pavri^o),  and 
is  a  name  given  to  a  Christian  sect  by  their  adversaries,  because  they 
objected  to  infant  baptism;  they  baptized  again  those  who  joined  their 
sect  and  hence  their  name.  See  Encyclo.  Americana,  under  the  ■word. 
Under  the  broad  name  of  Anabaptists  at  the  time  of  the  lleformation,  were 
included,  we  I'epeat,  all  who  went  further  than  the  Reformers  saw  fit  to  go 
in  urging  the  principles  of  tlie  Eeformation.  Those  Avho  were  the  authors 
of  the  civil  disturbances  in  Germany  and  other  parts  of  Euro])e,  were  also 
classed  among  the  Anabaptists;  but  the  pious,  sober,  and  discreet  ought 
not  to  have  been  held  accountable  for  the  fanaticisms  of  others,  over 
whom  their  opinions  had  no  infhience.  There  was  a  great  variety  of 
opinion  among  the  Anabaptists;  for,  at  first,  they  were  a  strange  mixture 
of  all  kinds  of  people.  A  late  writer  has  said:  "  The  first  Unitarians  who 
appeared  in  England  after  the  commencement  of  the  Reformation  were 
Baptists;  and  they  were  the  first  Protestants  Avho  sufiered  martyrdom  in 
this  country  under  a  Protestant  government,  and  through  the  influence 
of  Protestant  ecclesiastics;  they  were  also  the  last  who  were  appointed  to 
death  for  their  religion.  The  last  person  burnt  alive  under  the  charge  of 
heresy,  was  a  Unitarian  Baptist,  Edward  Wightman,  who  was  l)urnt  at 
Litchfield  on  the  11th  of  April,  1611;  and  the  last  person  actually  tried 
for  heresy,  Edward  Small,  was  also  a  Unitarian  Baptist.  It  is  a  somewhat 
singular  fact,  when  we  consider  the  position  of  the  Baptists  of  the  present 
day,  that  the  first  Unitarians  and  Univcrsalists  after  the  Pccformation, 
were  found  among  the  Baptists. 


84  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  II. 

dissent  from  the  common  opinion  of  the  incarnation  of 
Christ.  On  being  brought  before  the  proper  examiners, 
,she  declined  recantation,  and  was  adjudged  worthy  of 
burning.  The  young  King  at  first  refused  to  sign  the  war- 
rant for  her  death.  He  thought  it  cruelty  like  that  which 
the  Keformers  had  condemned  in  the  Papists,  to  put 
Christians  to  death  for  their  opinions.  Archbishop  Cran- 
mer,  in  this  transaction,  brought  an  indelible  stain  upon  his 
own  character.  He  used  his  influence  with  Edward  to 
persuade  him  of  the  justice  of  her  sentence,  and  maintain- 
ed that  burning  was  not  too  great  a  punishment  for  heresy, 
a  sentiment  which  was  afterward  retorted  upon  him,  when 
he  himself  was  brought  to  the  stake,  in  queen  Mary's 
reign.  The  King  was  persuaded,  at  last  to  sign  the  war- 
rant for  her  death,  which  he  did  with  tears  ;  and  she  suflFered 
with  a  constancy  worthy  of  a  better  fate.  A  Dutch  Ana- 
baptist was  sentenced  to  death  for  saying  that  the  Father 
only  was  God.  When  brought  to  the  stake,  he  was  in  a 
transport  of  exultation  ;  he  hugged  and  caressed  the  fag- 
gots that  were  consuming  him,  "  a  species  of  frenzy,"  says 
Mr.  Hume,  "  of  which  there  is  more  than  one  instance 
among  the  martyrs  of  that  age."  Although  these  rigorous 
measures  did  not  entirely  root  up  and  destroj^  the  alleged 
heresies,  they  had  the  effect  to  silence  the  different  sects, 
and  produce  at  least  an  ostensible  conformity  to  the  estab- 
lished faith  and  worship. 

THE    FORTY-TWO    ARTICLES    PREPARED. 

X.  The  more  eflFectually  to  produce  a  uniformity  of  faith 
throughout  the  nation,  especially  among  the  clergy,  the 
doctrines  of  the  Church  were  put  into  form,  and  XLH  articles 
of  religion  were  sent  forth  under  the  authority  of  the 
king.  Cranmer  had  long  been  desirous  to  prepare  this 
standard  of  national  faith,  but  he  waited  impatiently  until 
there  should  be  such  changes  among  the  Bishops,  as  should 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  8$ 

prevent  any  serious  opposition  to  the  measure/  In  the 
winter  of  1552,  the  articles  were  made  ready,  and  presented 
to  an  assembly  of  the  clergy  in  London.  By  what  method 
they  were  compiled,  cannot  now  be  said  ;  but  it  is  thought 
probable  they  were  framed  by  Cranmer  and  Kidley,  and 
sent  to  others  to  correct,  or  add  to  them,  as  they  thought 
fit.^  There  were  two  particular  objects  which  the  Re- 
formers had  in  view  in  preparing  the  Articles,  viz.  to 
guard  against  the  errors  of  Popery  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  new  opinions  which  had  been  broached  by  the  Ana- 
baptists on  the  the  other. ^  Of  these  Ai'ticles  the  last  seven 
are  evidently  directed  against  the  errors  of  the  Anabaptists. 
In  the  36th,  it  is  declared  that  the  Civil  Magistrate  is 
ordained  and  approved  by  God :  that  civil  or  temporal  laws 
may  punish  Christian  men  with  death  for  heinous  and 
grievous  offences  ;  and  that  it  is  lawful  for  Christian  men, 
at  the  commandment  of  the  Magistrate,  to  wear  weapons 
and  to  serve  in  the  wars.  Herein  were  condenmed  the 
opinions  of  those  Anabaptists  who  maintained  that  all 
temporal  authority  was  usurpation,  and  that  it  was  unlaw- 
ful for  Christians  to  bear  arms.  In  the  3'7th,  it  was  asserted 
that  the  riches  and  goods  of  Christians  are  not  common, 
against  those  Anabaptists  who  held  to  a  community  of 
goods.  The  38th,  maintained  the  lawfulness  of  oaths,  by 
which  those  Anabaptists  were  condemned  who  believed 
that  all  oaths  were  unlawful.  In  the  39th,  it  was  declared 
that  "the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  not  past  already." 
The  opinion  that  men  sleep,  or  are  unconscious,  until  the 
resurrection,  was  condemned  in  the  40th  Article.  The 
41st,  condemned  the  Millenarians,  and  the  42d,  the  Uni- 
versalists,  as  follows  : 

XLII.  All  men  not  to  be  saved  at  last.     "  They  also  deserve 
to  be  condemned^  who  endeavor  to  restore  that  pernicious  opin- 

»  Warner,  ii.  296. 

*  Strype's  Memorials  of  Edward  VI. ;  chaps,  xv.  and  xxii. 

^  Broughton's  Histor.  Die.  Art.  Articles  of  Religion. 


86  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  U. 

ion,  that  all  men  {though  never  so  ungodly)  shall  at  last  be 
saved;  when  for  a  certain  time,  appointed  by  the  Divine 
Justice,  they  have  endured  punishment  for  their  siiis  com- 
mitted." 

"Thus,"  says  Bishop  Burnet,  "was  the  doctrine  of  the 
Church  cast  into  a  short  and  plain  form ;  in  which  they 
took  care  both  to  establish  the  positive  articles  of  religion, 
and  to  cut  off  the  errors  formerly  introduced  in  the  time  of 
Popery,  or  of  late  broached  by  the  Anabaptists,  and 
enthusiasts  of  Germany."  ^  To  use  the  words  of  Arch- 
deacon Blackburn  concerning  the  42d  Article,  "one  may 
be  pretty  sure  that  this  Article  was  not  aimed  at  any  error 
of  Popery  ;  "  ^  there  cannot  remain  any  doubt,  therefore, 
that  it  was  designed  here  to  condemn  the  Anabaptists,* 
and  other  contemporary  sects. 

To  set  an  example  to  the  whole  nation  the  King  first 
subscribed  the  Articles  with  his  own  hand.  They  had  been 
delayed  a  year  since  their  preparation  ;  and  as  Edward  was 

*  The  XLII  Articles  at  length,  with  the  alterations  that  wei'e  made  in 
them  ten  years  after,  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  may  be  found  in  Burnet's 
Hist,  of  Refoi'mation,  Vol.  ii.  Collec.  of  Records,  p.  190. 

^  Burnet's  Hist,  of  Reformation,  ii.  139. 
3  Hist.  View,  p.  25. 

*  The  Anabaptists  should  not  be  regarded  as  having  formed  only  one 
sect:  they  were  a  great  variety  of  persons  of  different  tastes  and  views; 
some  of  them  very  wild  and  disorderly,  and  some  sober,  pious  and  orderly. 
It  is  well  known  that  some  of  the  most  disorderly  among  them  believed  in 
the  doctrine  of  endless  misery.  See  the  History  of  Anabaptism  by  Rev. 
Parsons  Cooke,  p.  222,  where  he  represents  one  of  the  leading  and  most 
fanatical  among  the  Anabaptists,  as  crying  out  to  his  hearers,  "  the  great 
day  of  the  last  judgment  is  coming,  and  you  are  to  be  damned  forever." 
We  are  very  far  from  thinking  that  all  the  Anabaptists  believed  in  the 
doctrine  of  Universalism;  it  was  the  milder  class  who  embraced  that  sen- 
timent, and  the  descendants  of  whom  in  Germany,  Holland,  and  other 
parts  of  Europe,  and  in  America,  long  held  the  same  opinions.  Rev. 
Elhanan  Winchester  says,  (Dialogue  3d)  "  The  Shakers  or  German  Baptists 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  states  adjacent,  who  take  the  Scriptures  as  their 
only  guide,  in  matters  both  of  faith  and  practice,  have  always,  as  far 
as  I  know,  received  and  universally,  at  present,  hold  these  sentiments 
(Universalism);  but  such  Christians  I  have  never  seen  as  they  are;  so 
averse  to  all  sin  and  to  many  things  that  other  Christians  esteem  lawful, 
that  they  not  only  refuse  to  swear  (make  oath)  go  to  war,  &c.,  but  are  so 
atraid  of  doing  anything  contrary  to  the  commands  of  Christ,  that  no 
temptation  could  2>revail  upon  them  to  sue  any  person  at  law,  for  either 
name,  character,  estate,  or  any  debt  be  it  ever  so  just." 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  87 

drawing  near  his  end,  by  a  consumption,  he  would  not 
refrain  any  longer  from  establishing  them  by  authority. 
The  Bishops  were  all  required  to  subscribe,  and  all  persons 
wishing  to  enter  holy  orders,  and  all  that  officiated  in  the 
Churches,  either  in  reading  or  preaching,  or  that  held  any 
benefice.  Those  who  refused  subscription  were  disabled 
from  any  preferment.  The  king  wrote  letters  to  the  several 
Bishops,  giving  them  directions,  that  if  any  who  held  office 
under  them  should  refuse  to  conform  to  the  Articles,  in- 
formation was  immediately  to  be  lodged  against  them  in 
the  Council,  that  such  measures  might  be  adopted  as  the 
cause  should  require,  and  as  should  comport  with  justice 
and  the  laws.^  A  mandate  was  likewise  sent  to  the  Univer- 
sity of  Cambridge,  requiring  that  all  Doctors  and  Bachelors 
in  Divinity,  and  all  Doctors  of  Law  and  Masters  of  Arts, 
should,  before  their  creation,  swear  to  them  and  subscribe 
them,  and  be  denied  their  degrees  on  their  refusal.^ 

DEATH    OF    EDWARD ACCESSION    OF    MARY. 

XI.  But  religion  was  destined  to  suffer  a  sad  reverse  in 
England  soon  after  the  promulgation  of  the  Articles.  Not 
a  year  had  elapsed  when  the  amiable  Edward  died  ;  and 
the  project  of  raising  the  Lady  Jane  to  the  throne  utterly 
failing,  his  death  made  way  for  the  exaltation  of  his  sister 
Mary,  a  bigoted  Catholic.  No  sooner  had  she  received  the 
crown  than  the  imprisoned  Bishops  and  Clergy  of  the 
Catholic  faith  obtained  their  liberty,  and  the  Parliament 
which  had  so  vigorously  supported  the  Reformation  under 
Edward,  now  became  obsequious  to  every  wish  of  Mary. 
Hooper,  Latimer  and  Eidley,  and  very  soon  Cranmer,  were 
brought  to  the  stake  under  circumstances  of  the  most  dis- 
tressing character.     By   a  removal  of  some   Bishops,  and 


^  Strype's  Memorials  of  Edward  VI.  cliaps.  xv.  and  xxii. 
*  Warner,  ii.  307. 


88  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  II. 

by  replacing  others  who  had  been  deposed,  the  Convoca- 
tion ^  was  brought  to  favor  the  Catholic  religion.  All  the 
preachers  throughout  the  kingdom  were  silenced,  except 
those  who  should  obtain  a  particular  license ;  and  all  the 
laws  enacted  concerning  religion  during  the  reign  of 
Edward  were  repealed  by  one  statute.  The  Convocation 
manifested  its  disapprobation  of  King  Edward's  XLII 
Articles,  and  denounced  them  as  "full  of  heresies. "^  And, 
as  if  to  abolish  all  remembrance  of  the  Reformation,  a 
proclamation  was  issued  against  books  of  heresy,  in  which 
it  was  declared,  "  that  whosoever  had  any  of  these  books, 
and  did  not  presently  burn  them,  without  reading  them,  or 
showing  them  to  any  other  person,  should  be  esteemed 
rebels  ;  and  without  any  farther  delay,  be  executed  by 
martial  law."  °  It  is  not  a  wonder,  that  the  writings  of 
the  early  English  Anabaptists,  if  any  were  printed,  have 
not  reached  us,  through  the  ordeal  thus  prepared  for 
them. 

ACCESSION    OF    ELIZABETH CHANGE    IN    THE    ARTICLES. 

XII.  Happily  for  England,  the  reign  of  Mary  did  not 
embrace  a  period  of  six  years.  She  was  succeeded  by  her 
sister  Elizabeth,  a  Protestant,  and  a  woman  possessed  of 
many  qualifications  for  the  high  station  she  filled.  The  Par- 
liament, as  obedient  to  Elizabeth  as  it  had  been  to  the  pre- 
ceding queen,  passed  an  act  confirming  all  the  statutes 
relating   to  religion,  which  had   been  established   in  the 


"^  The  Convo3ation  was  an  Assembly  of  the  Clergy  for  consultation  upon 
matters  ecclesiastical,  in  time  of  Parliament,  and,  as  the  Parliament  con- 
sisted of  two  distinct  Houses,  so  did  this;  the  one  called  the  Upper  House, 
where  the  Archbishops  and  Bishops  sat  severally  by  themselves;  the  otlier 
the  Lower  House,  where  all  the  rest  of  the  Clergy  were  represented  by 
their  deputies.  Theexaminins;  and  censuring  of  heretical  and  schismatical 
books  was  entrusted  to  the  Convocation;  but  there  lay  an  appeal  to  the 
King  in  Chancery,  or  his  delegates. 

2  Warner,  ii.  335. 

3  Hume,  chap,  xxxvii. 


A.  D.  IS.IO.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  89 

reign  of  King  Edward,  and  shortly  the  whole  system  of 
religion  was  restored  again,  as  it  had  been  set  up  by  Cran- 
mer  and  his  associates.  The  queen,  however,  wished  to 
advance  the  Reformation  b}^  gradual  means, ^  that  she  might 
not  irritate  her  Catholic  subjects,  and  she  permitted  some 
things  to  remain  with  which  she  would  gladly  have  dis- 
pensed, except  for  this  reason.  Cranmer  had  been  suc- 
ceeded in  the  See  of  Canterbury  by  Cardinal  Pole,  who 
dying  about  the  same  time  with  Mary,  gave  room  for 
Elizabeth  to  raise  to  that  high  station,  Matthew  Parker, 
who  had  been  her  instructor,  and  who  reluctantly  left  the 
retirement  in  which  he  had  spent  his  days  during  Mary's 
reign.  He  was  the  second  Protestant  Archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, and  has  the  credit  of  having  promoted  the  Refor- 
mation steadily  and  mildly.  Not  so  much  perplexed  as 
Cranmer  either  by  Catholics  or  Protestant  heretics,  he 
does  not  seem  to  have  contracted  that  inveteracy  against 
those,  who  in  thinking  for  themselves,  differed  from  their 
rulers.  In  about  four  years  after  her  accession,  Elizabeth 
gave  a  license  to  the  Convocation  to  review  the  doctrine 
and  discipline  of  the  Church,  when  the  Upper  House  began 
with  the  former,  reducing  the  XLII  Articles  to  XXXIX, 
the  number  which  they  retain  to  the  present  day.  There 
were  no  very  essential  alterations  made  in  the  doctrine  of 
the  Articles,  if  we  except  the  omission  of  the  four  which 
stand  last  in  the  original  order  of  them,  viz.  that  which 
declares  that  the  Resurrection  is  not  past  already,  that 
which  opposes  the  sleep  of  the  soul  until  the  resurrec- 
tion,   that    which   condemns    the  Millenarians,    and    that 

*  "Religion  was  the  caj^ital  point,  on  which  depended  all  the  political 
transactions  of  that  age;  and  the  queen's  conduct  in  this  particular,  mak- 
ing allowance  for  the  prevailing  prejudices  of  the  times,  could  scarcely  be 
accused  of  severity  or  imprudence.  She  established  no  inquisitions  into 
men's  bosoms;  she  imposed  no  oath  of  supremacy,  except  on  those  who 
received  trust  or  emolument  from  the  public ;  and  though  the  exercise  of 
every  religion  but  the  established  was  prohibited  by  statute,  the  violation 
of  this  law  was,  in  many  instances,  connived  at."     Hume,  chap.  xl. 


90  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  II. 

which  condemns  the  Universalists.  The  change  in  the 
Articles  may  be  attributed  chiefly  to  the  Archbishop  ; 
but  what  were  the  particular  reasons  why  the  condem- 
nation of  Universalists  was  omitted  in  the  revision, 
we  have  not  the  means  of  knowing.  Whether  the 
Archbishop  was  himself  favorable  to  the  doctrine,  or 
whether  the  occasion  for  its  condemnation  had  passed 
away  by  the  disappearance  of  the  sects  who  had  main- 
tained it,  (which  we  can  hardly  suppose  could  take 
place  in  the  short  term  of  ten  years,)  or  whether  at  this 
time,  it  was  thought  altogether  inoffensive  and  innocent, 
we  have  not  the  means  now  of  ascertaining.  If  we  may 
hazard  a  conjecture,  we  should  say  the  latter  is  the  most 
probable,  inasmuch  as  we  have  no  proofs  that  Parker 
was  an  Universalist  ;  or  if  he  were,  it  is  not  to  be  be- 
lieved that  the  whole  Convocation  agreed  with  him  ;  nor 
can  it  be  admitted  that  the  Anabaptists  had  departed  the 
kingdom, 

UNIVERSALISM   NO    HERESY  NOW  IN  THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND. 

XIII.  It  deserves  to  be  remarked  in  this  place,  that  from 
the  time  of  the  revision  of  the  Articles,  it  has  not  been 
considered  an  offence,  in  the  Church  of  England,  to  avow 
the  doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation.  Some  of  her  most 
eminent  divines  have  maintained  it,  without  incurring  any 
displeasure  or  disability  on  that  account.  And  perhaps 
there  have  been  furnished  as  spirited  arguments  on  both 
sides  of  this  question  by  members  and  divines  of  the  Eng- 
lish Church,  as  the  world  has  ever  seen.  "  It  is  owing  to 
the  moderation  of  our  Church,"  says  Dr.  Hey,  (who  seems 
himself  to  be  in  great  doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  endless 
misery,)  "  that  we  are  not  called  upon  to  subscribe  to  the 
eternitj'  of  hell  torments  ;  nay,  we  are  not  required  even 
to  condemn  those  who   presume  to  aflSrm  that  all  men  will 

be  finally  saved Though  one  were  inclined  io 

hope  with   Dr.    Hartley,  that  all  men  will  be  happy  ulti- 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNIVERSALISM    IN    ENGLAND.  91 

mately,  that  is,  when  punishment  has  done  its  proper 
work  in  reforming  principles  and  conduct  ;  yet  to  affmn  it 
must  always  be  presumption."  ^ 

A  clerg3'man  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in 
America,  who  wrote  a  very  interesting  course  of  sermons 
in  illustration  and  defence  of  Universalism,  on  Rellyan 
principles,  maintained  that  the  XXXIX  Articles  teach  the 
doctrine  of  the  salvation  of  all  men.  But  this  admits  of 
doubt  ;  the  matter  seems  to  be  left  in  the  Articles  so  that 
each  person  can  make  up  his  own  mind  on  the  subject, 
according  to  his  understanding  of  the  word  of  God.  The 
following  extract  from  the  author  refen-ed  to  is  worthy  of 
attention  : 

"  But  methinks  1  hear  an  objector  to  this  propose,  how  comes  it  to 
pass  that  of  all  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England,  you  are  the  only  one 
that  ever  found  out  that  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  that  all  men  have  a 
title  in  Christ  to  eternal  Life ;  that  all  men  will  finally  be  saved  ?  and  how 
does  it  become  you,  as  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  to  teach  a 
doctrine  so  contrary  to  what  is,  and  ever  has  been  taught  by  that  Church? 
Is  no  deference  to  be  paid  to  any  of  her  Bishops,  or  the  judgment  or 
opinion  of  any  other  of  her  great  and  learned  men,  nor  indeed  to  the 
opinion  of  the  whole  Christian  church,  for  seventeen  hundred  years?  I 
answer,  I  am  not  the  only  one  of  all  the  clergy  of  the  church  of  England, 
that  has  found  this  doctrine  in  the  Bible;  and  if  I  was  the  only  one,  surely 
I  have  a  right  to  preach  the  gospel  even  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  if  I  find 
it,  whether  I  agree  with  another  man  or  not,  unless  the  authority  of  men 
is  greater  than  the  authority  of  God;  certainly  I  have  no  right  to  preach, 
what  I  think  to  be  inconsistent  with  truth ;  however,  as  a  clergyman  of 
the  Church  of  England,  I  have  a  right  to  judge  for  myself,  of  the  promises 
of  God;  for  the  Church  of  England  in  the  close  of  her  seventeenth  article 
of  religion  directs  thus,  even  these  very  woi'ds,  we  must  receive  God's 
promises  in  such  wise  as  they  be  generally  set  forth  in  the  holy  scriptures; 
but  as  she  has  not  told  in  her  articles  how  God's  promises  are  to  be  un- 
derstood ,  except  as  they  are  generally  set  forth  in  the  holy  scriptures,  she 
certainly  leaves  it  to  me  to  judge  for  myself  of  these  promises,  and  I  do 
judge  them  to  be  promises  of  eternal  life  to  all  mankind  without  exception 
in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord;  and  the  articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  I 
have  heretofore  taken  notice,  do  set  forth  the  offering  of  Christ  once  made 
as  a  perfect  redemption,  propitiation  and  satisfaction  for  all  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world,  both  original  and  actual.    Now  I  ask,  if  there  is  perfect 

*  Key's  Norrissian  Lectures,  ii.  389,  390. 


92  -  HISTOEY  OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [BookH. 

satisfaction  made  by  Christ,  for  every  sin  of  the  whole  ■world,  how  justice 
can  ever  condemn,  or  execute  the  sentence  of  the  law  for  sin,  upon  any 
one  individual  of  the  human  race?  When  a  jjerfect  satisfaction  is  already 
made  to  God,  for  all  the  sins  of  men,  to  demand  the  payment  over  again  is 
evidently  the  highest  injustice;  as  great  injustice,  as  it  would  have  been, 
to  have  punished  all  mankind  with  everlasting  misery  if  no  one  of  them 
had  ever  sinned.  If  every  sin  of  the  whole  world  is  satisfied  for,  it  is  plain 
and  evident  that  every  man  must  be  saved;  for  what  can  condemn  any 
man  if  the  sins  of  all  are  satisfied  for  ?  If  they  are  not  saved,  it  is  plain 
they  cannot  be  punished.  But  there  is  no  middle  way  between  salvation 
and  damnation,  so  that  you  must  see  the  Church  of  England  has,  in  her 
articles,  taught  the  salvation  of  all  men,  at  least  impliedly;  and  am  I  to  be 
condemned  for  diflering  from  all  the  church  clergy  in  doctrine,  because 
I  preach  up  the  doctrine  of  the  thirty-nine  articles  ?  Is  this  a  crime  to  preach 
up  the  doctrine  contained  in  the  articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  because 
it  is  said  none  of  the  rest  of  the  clergy  teach  so,  but  the  contrary  ?  Will  the 
preaching  up  the  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  England  contradict  the  doc- 
trine of  her  clergy  ?  This  would  be  a  sad  thing  indeed.  Can  preaching 
the  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  England,  be  showing  disrespect  to  her 
Bishops,  or  great  writers,  or  clergy  ?  Who  composed  the  thirty-nine  arti- 
cles ?  Was  it  not  the  Bishops  and  the  Clergy  of  the  Church  of  England, 
and  was  it  their  doctrine  ?  or  did  they  set  forth  a  doctrine  for  the  Church 
of  England,  diii'erent  from  their  own  doctrine?  But  my  teaching  that  all 
mankind  will  finally  be  happy,  is  not  jireaching  contrary  to  what  is,  and 
ever  has  been  taught  by  all  the  rest  of  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land For  no  less  a  man  than  Archbishop  Tillotson,  has  been  wi'ote 
against  for  preaching  this  doctrine;  and  at  least  in  one  of  his  sermons,  he 
did  intimate  that  this  was  his  opinion,  though  at  the  same  time  he  ai^pear- 
ed  to  be  in  darkness  and  doubt  about  it,  and  several  others  of  the  clergy 
of  the  church  have  taught  the  salvation  of  all  men.  Mr.  Murdon,  a 
church  clergyman  now  living  I  suppose,  has  for  a  number  of  years, 
preached  the  same  doctrine,  as  I  do  openly  and  fully ;  and  has  printed  a 
book  upon  the  subject,  and  yet  is  in  full  and  regular  standing  under  his 
Bishop." » 

This  quotation  may  appear  to  be  somewhat  out  of  place  ; 
but  it  is  important  to  show  how  the  Articles  have  been 
regarded,  by  the  clergy  of  the  Church.  Many  of  her  great 
men,  who  did  not  themselves  believe  in  Universalism, 
have  allowed,  that  the  subject  is  not  settled  by  the  Articles, 
but  that  every  man  is  left  to  make  up  his  own  mind  upon 
it,  according  to  the  best  light  God  hath  given  him, 

^  See  "  Universal  Salvation  and  Damnation,  clearly  proved  by  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament."  Ed.  of  1826,  Boston,  pp. 
86  to  88. 


BOOK    III. 

HISTORY  OF  TJNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND  CONTINUED ;  ITS  CON- 
DEMNATION BY  THE   PARLIAMENT ;  AND  NOTICES   OF 
ITS  DEFENDERS  DURING  THIS  PERIOD. 

[From  the  reign  of  Elizabeth  to  that  of  Queen  Ann;  A.  D.  1560  to  1700.] 

Rise  of  the  Puritans ;  Presbyterianism  introduced  and  Church  of  England 
abolished;  Rise  of  the  Independents;  Spii'itual  conflicts  of  the  sects; 
Cruel  statutes  passed  by  the  Presbyterians  in  Parliament ;  The  cruelty 
of  Parliament  does  not  check  alleged  heresy;  Gerard  Winstanley  d^ends 
Universalism;  Wm.  Earbiiry,  the  Independent;  Notice  of  his  works; 
Richard  Coppin  defends  Universalism;  Is  indicted  and  tried  at  Worcester 
and  Oxford;  Is  indicted  and  tried  at  Gloucester;  He  disputes  in  the 
Cathedral  at  Rochester,  Kent;  He  is  imprisoned;  Anonymous  works  in 
defence  of  Universalism;  Work  entitled,  "  Considerations  upon  Eter- 
nity ;"  Character  and  tolerant  measures  of  Cromwell:  He  dies,  and  the 
restoration  and  Act  of  Uniformity  ensue;  Sir  Henry  Vane  (the  younger), 
a  Universalist ;  Rev.  Jeremy  White^  Chaplain  to  the  Protector,  a  Uni- 
versalist;  White's  work  on  the  Restoration  of  all  things;  His  excellent 
character;  Anonymous  work  on  Universalism;  R.  Stafford's  "  Thoughts 
of  the  Life  to  come;"  Other  writers  supposed  to  have  been  Universalists ; 
Jane  Leadley  and  the  Philadelphian  Society ;  Retrospection. 

RISE    OF    THE    PURITANS. 

I.  The  prospects  which  dawned  upon  the  Church  of 
England  in  the  commencement  of  Elizabeth's  reign,  were 
SDon  obscured  by  gathering  clouds  of  discontent  and 
schism.  The  queen,  as  "  Supreme  Head  of  the  Church," 
claimed  the  prerogative  to  dictate  to  her  subjects  what 
religion  they  should  profess,  and  what  forms  they  should 
observe.  This  determination  gave  rise  to  that  body  of 
dissenters,  denominated  Puritans,  who  objected  not  only  to 
the  high  claims  of  the  queen,  but  to  the  Episcopal  form  of 
government,  and  to  the  retention  of  many  of  the  forms  of 

93 


94  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  III. 

the  Roman  Church,  particularly  the  vestments  of  the 
clergy.  Many  of  them,  having-  been  driven  into  other 
countries  by  the  persecution  under  Mary,  imbibed  feelings 
which  it  was  impossible  to  reconcile  to  what  they  denomi- 
nated corruption  and  usurpation  ;  and  they  sufi'ered  many 
privations,  both  among  the  clergy  and  people,  rather  than 
conform  to  the  established  avithority  and  ceremonies.  On 
the  accession  of  James,  (1603,)  who  had  been  educated  in 
Scotland,  they  had  strong  hopes  of  a  mitigation  of  their 
sufferings  ;  but  they  soon  learned  that  he  entertained  as 
high  an  opinion  of  the  royal  prerogative,  both  in  civil  and 
religious  matters,  as  his  predecessor.  It  was  during  the 
reign  of  this  king,  that  the  version  of  the  Scriptures  now 
in  common  use,  was  prepared,  by  divines  whose  obsequi- 
ousness to  his  Majesty's  will,  repaid  him  for  the  zeal  with 
which  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Established  Clergy. 
Still,  it  ought  to  be  reniembered,  that  the  King  seems  to 
have  been  governed  by  good  motives  in  his  desire  to  bring 
out  the  New  Translation  ;  and,  if  we  make  some  slight 
exceptions  to  the  directions  he  gave  the  translators,  we 
are  constrained  on  the  whole  to  allow,  that  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  work  were  judicious.  The  Translation  is  not 
perfect;  yet  it  is  probably  the  best  that  has  ever  been 
made  into  the  English  language. 

CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND  ABOLISHED. 

II.  On  the  accession  of  Charles  I.  (1625)  the  difficulties 
which  threatened  the  Church  were  by  no  means  lessened, 
and  a  darker  cloud  soon  came  over  the  civil  interests  of  the 
kingdom.  Difficulties  arose  between  the  King  and  his 
Parliament  on  the  subject  of  raising  money,  which  con- 
tinued to  increase,  until  the  partizans  on  each  side  rushed 
to  arms,  and  involved  the  nation  in  all  the  horrors  of  civil 
war.  To  defend  themselves  the  more  resolutely  against 
the  forces  of  the  King,  the  Parliament,  urged  on  by  the  popu- 
lar voice,  called  in  the  aid  of  the  Scots,  who  were  opposed 


A.  D  1640.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  95 

vehemently  to  Episcopacy,  and  who  had  established  the 
Presbyterian  form  of  Church  government.  In  an  agree- 
ment which  was  formed  between  them  and  the  Parliament, 
generally  denominated  the  Solemn  League  and  Covenant,  it 
was  mutually  engaged  to  extirpate  "Popery  and  Prelacy, 
superstition,  heresy,  schism  and  profaneness."  ^  The  forces 
of  the  King  were  overthrown  ;  the  power  of  the  Parliament 
everywhere  prevailed  ;  and  thus  the  Church  of  England 
was  abolished  ;  and  it  remained  extinct  until  the  Restora- 
tion in  the  person  of  Charles  II. 

RISE    OF    THE   INDEPENDENTS. 

III.  Presbyterianisra  had  not  been  long  established,  when 
a  third  great  party  began  to  rise  in  the  kingdom.  The 
King  had  been  foi'ced  to  give  himself  into  the  hands  of  the 
Scots,  by  whom  he  was  delivered  over  to  the  Parliament ; 
and  after  a  few  short  intervals  of  perplexing  doubt,  the 
executioner  put  an  end  to  his  troubles.  Thus  relieved  of 
their  common  enemy,  the  popularity  of  the  Parliament 
began  to  decline  ;  and  the  army  itself  dictated  rules  to  that 
body  which  for  so  many  years  had  been  the  glory  of  the 
nation.  The  principal  o£Scers  of  the  army  were  anxious 
above  all  things  to  take  into  their  own  hands  the  supreme 
power ;  and  they  endeavored  to  abolish  the  Presbyterian 
government,  and  set  up  the  system  of  the  Independents, 
who  were  Anti-Presbyterians,  or  Congregationalists.  Hav- 
ing but  few  preachers  to  second  their  views,  they  under- 
took themselves  to  preach  and  pray  publicly  to  the  troops  ; 
and  even  the  common  soldiers  turning  divines,  preached  to 
one  another,  entered  the  pulpits  of  the  churches  where 
they  quartered,  and  harrangued  the  people  with  great  fer- 
vor. These  measures  were  highly  agreeable  to  the  Inde- 
pendents scattered  over  the  kingdom,  and  thus  a  party 
was  formed  which  balanced  very  equally  the  power  of  the 

^  Hume,  chap.  Ivi. 


96  MODERN    HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  HI. 

Presbyterians.  The  confidence  of  the  nation  in  the  Parlia- 
ment had  sensibly  declined  ;  that  body  daily  grew  weaker 
by  its  own  acts  ;  and  at  last,  Oliver  Cromwell,  whose  mili- 
tary exploits  had  made  him  the  idol  of  the  people,  dissolv- 
ed it  by  the  weight  of  his  influence,  and  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  authority.  It  is  due  to  the  Independents  to 
say,  they  were  the  friends  of  religious  liberty.  Mr.  Hume 
does  them  the  justice  to  allow  this,  although  he  attributes 
their  liberality  rather  to  their  fanaticism  than  to  any  well 
settled  principles.  He  says,  "  Of  all  Christian  sects,  this 
was  the  first,  which,  during  its  prosperity,  as  well  as  its 
adversity,  always  adopted  the  principle  of  toleration  ;  and 
it  is  remarkable,  that  so  reasonable  a  doctrine  owed  its 
origin,  not  to  reasoning,  but  to  the  height  of  extravagance 
and  fanaticism."  1  We  shall  soon  see,  that  we  may  well 
praise  God,  that  the  sword  of  civil  power,  passed  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  Presbyterians  into  those  of  the  Inde- 
pendents. 

SPIRITUAL    CONFLICTS    OF    THE    SECTS. 

IV.  During  the  period  of  high  political  dissension,  that 
strict  watch  which  had  been  kept  to  detect  the  rise  of 
heresy  must,  in  some  great  measure,  have  been  relaxed. 
Printing  had  come  into  more  general  use,  and  now  that  not 
only  the  Bible,  but  books  on  controverted  subjects  were 
distributed,  and  the  taste  for  learning  having  increased  in  a 
corresponding  degree,  the  people  had  the  means  to  avail 
themselves  of  the  privileges  which  the  art  of  printing 
threw  in  their  way.  The  multitude  began  to  read  and 
judge  for  themselves.  We  may  emphatically  term  this  an 
age  of  sects.  The  Puritans,  after  a  long  and  vigorous  dis- 
pute with  the  Established  Church,  had  availed  themselves 
of  the  political  troubles,  and  accomplished  their  purposes. 
The  Independents,  bolder  than  the  rest,  had  asserted  and 

*  History  of  England,  chap.  Ivii. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  97 

maintained  their  prerogatives.  Besides  these  there  was  a 
multitude  of  lesser  sects,  among  whom  the  descendants -of 
the  Anabaptists  may  be  discovered.  Each  one  who  felt 
the  inclination  became  a  preacher  ;  and  inculcated  his  views 
with  much  less  restraint  than  formerly.  It  would  be  im- 
possible to  give  a  history  of  the  great  variety  of  opinions 
which  were  propagated  at  that  time,  some  of  which  were 
undoubtedly  false  ;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  the  purpose  of 
this  history  that  it  should  be  done.  It  is  certain  that 
Universalism  prevailed  to  a  very  considerable  extent ;  and 
some  even  rejected  altogether  the  notion  of  punishment  in 
the  future  state  for  the  sins  of  this  life.  These  views  were 
maintained,  both  in  preaching  and  in  writing,  by  some  per- 
sons of  talent  and  considerable  eminence.  From  this 
period  a  few  of  the  works  in  defence  of  these  sentiments 
have  reached  us,  and,  in  a  few  cases,  biographical  sketches 
of  the  authors.  The  Presbyterians  turned  upon  the  Inde- 
pendents with  the  same  accusations  which  the  Catholics 
had  made  against  the  Reformers,  and  charged  them  with 
being  the  cause  of  all  the  variety  of  opinions  which  pre- 
vailed. A  certain  Thomas  Edwards,  of  that  class,  became 
as  furious  against  Independents  and  other  sects  which  had 
risen,  as  he  had  been  a'gainst  royalists  ;  and,  in  a  work  which 
he  published,  he  undertook  the  task  of  giving  an  account 
of  all  the  errors  which  prevailed,  and  of  refuting  them.' 
Although  his  testimony  is  not  always  to  be  depended  on, 
yet  he  may  be  believed  when  he  declares  that  among  other 
errors,  the  very  existence  of  hell  in  the  future  state  was 
denied,  and  that  all  men,  and  even  the  devils,  shall  be 
saved  at  last,  "  and  shall  see,  feel,  and  possess  blessedness 
to  their  everlasting  salvation  and  comfort."  "^ 

*  Biogi'apliia  Britannica,  .art.  Ed. 

"  Gaagrena,  Part  iii.  p.  10,  11.  We  know  not  the  persons  to  whom  Mr. 
Edwai-ds  hei"e  refers.  He  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  crush  every  heresy ; 
and  the  object  of  his  "  Gangrena  "  (a  malicious  title  by  the  way)  was  to 
point  out  the  heresies  then  prevailing,  that  Parliament  might  be  incited 
to  crush  them.    He  called  upon  the  civil  magistrates,  who  held  the  sword, 


98  MODEKN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVEESALTSM.         [Book  HI, 

CRUEL    STATUTES    PASSED    BY    PARLIAMENT. 

V,  The  bitterness  and  zeal  of  the  Presbyterians  towards 
all  who  differed  from  them,  had  been  manifested  in  the 
debates  and  statutes  of  Parliament.  It  is  true,  that  class 
of  religionists  had  lost  much  of  their  influence  in  this  body  ; 
and  when  the  army  was  near,  this  influence  was  still  more 
diminished ;  but  they  embraced  the  opportunity  on  one 
occasion,  when  some  of  their  absconded  members  resumed 
their  courage,  and  appeared  again  among  them,  to  exhibit 
the  cruel  principles  of  their  religion  and  their  hearts,  by 
passing  such  an  ordinance  against  heretics,  as  cannot,  says 
Mr.  Warner,  "  be  censured  in  terms  of  too  great  sever- 
ity." ^  Universalists,  among  the  rest,  were  made  the 
objects  of  parliamentary  indignation.  All  those  who 
maintained  that  Jesus  Christ  was  not  the  true  God,  or  who 
taught  that  the  bodies  of  men  will  not  rise  from  the  dead, 
or  who  denied  the  doctrine  of  a  judgment  in  the  future 
state  for  the  sins  of  this  life,  were,  by  this  act,  to  be  com- 
mitted to  prison  without  bail  ;  and,  if  on  trial  they  were 
convicted,  and  did  not  abjure,  they  were  to  be  punished 


to  give  attention  to  these  alarmine;  evils.  He  told  them  they  were  verily 
guilty;  that  their  forbearance  was  filling  England  with  the  vilest  errors, 
and  that  their  brethren  in  Scotland  were  looking  upon  them  with  amaze- 
ment, to  see  them  so  indifferent  to  the  highest  interests  of  the  people. 
Neal  says,  in  his  History  of  the  Puritans,  "  The  most  zealous  writer 
against  the  sectaries  was  Mr.  Thomas  Edwards,  Minister  of  Christ  Church, 
London,  a  zealous  Presbyterian,  who  became  remarkable  by  a  book  en- 
titled, '  Gangrena,'  or  a  catalogue  of  many  of  the  errors,  heresies,  blas- 
phemies, and  pernicious  practices  of  this  time."  In  the  epistle  dedicatory, 
he  calls  on  the  higher  iDOwers,  to  rain  down  all  their  vengeance  upon  these 
deluded  people,  in  the  fo'lowing  language:  "  You  have  done  worthily 
against  papists,  prelates  and  scandalous  ministers,  in  casting  down  images, 
altars,  crucifices,  throwing  out  ceremonies,  &c. ;  but  what  have  you  done 
(says  he)  against  heresy,  schism,  disorder,  against  Seekers,  Anabaptists, 
Antlnomians,  Brownists,  Libertines,  and  other  sects,  &c.,  &c."  Mr.  Neal 
further  says,  that  Edwards  made  sixteen  classes  of  heretics,  at  the  head 
of  which  he  placed  the  Independents,  "  because  they  were  for  the  tolera- 
tion of  all  Christians  who  agreed  in  the  fundamentals  of  religion;"  and 
he  adds  the  fiict,  that  Mr.  Edwards  "  went  on  publishing  a  second  and 
third  '  Gangrena,'  full  of  most  bitter  invectives  and  reproaches,  till  his 
own  friends  were  nauseated  with  his  performances."  Hist,  of  Puritans, 
Part  iii.  cha]).  7. 
•  Eccle.  Hist,  of  Chui-ch  of  England. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND,  99 

without  benefit  of  clergy,  as  in  cases  of  felony.*  This 
unmerciful  Parliament  were  disposed  to  show  a  degree  of 
favor  to  those  who  admitted  the  doctrine  of  punishment  in 
a  future  state,  though  such  did  not  hold  it  to  be  endless ; 
they  decreed,  therefore,  not  that  such  should  suffer  death, 
without  benefit  of  clergy,  (as  in  the  former  case,)  but  that, 
if  they  refuse,  on  conviction,  to  recant,  they  should  be 
cast  into  prison,  there  to  remain  till  they  gave  two  suffi- 
cient sureties  that  they  would  maintain  said  error  no 
more.^ 

THE    CRUELTY    OF    PARLIAMENT    DID    NOT  CHECK    ALLEGED    HERESY, 

VI.  It  will  undoubtedly  be  a  matter  of  surprise  to  every 
person,  that  immediately  after  the  enactment  of  this  law, 
the   doctrines  designed  to  be  abolished   by  it  should  be 

^  5  Warner,  ii.  571.  Mr.  Neal,  speaks  of  the  passage  of  this  infamous 
law  in  the  following  very  decisive  terms:  "  The  Parliament  was  now 
recruited  with  such  Presbyterian  members  as  had  absconded,  or  de- 
serted their  stations,  while  the  army  was  quartered  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  city;  these  gentlemen,  finding  they  had  the  superiority  in  the 
house,  resumed  their  courage,  and  took  the  opportunity  of  discovering 
their  principles  and  spirit,  in  passing  such  a  I  iw  against  heretics  as  is 
hardly  to  be  paralleled  among  Protestants.  It  had  been  laid  aside  by  the 
influence  of  the  army  for  above  nine  months,  till  May  1st,  when  it  was 
voted  that  all  ordinances  concerning  Church  government  referred  to  com- 
mittees be  brought  in  and  debated ;  and  that  the  ordinance  concerning 
blasphemy  and  heresy  be  now  determined,  which  was  done  accordingly. 
This  was  one  of  tlie  most  shocking  laws  I  have  met  with  in  restraint  of 
religious  liberty;  and  shows  that  the  governing  Presbyterians  would  have 
made  a  terrible  use  of  their  power,  had  they  been  supported  by  the  sword 
of  the  civil  magistrate.  The  ordinance  is  dated  May  2,  1648."  .  .  .  "The 
ordinance  was  a  comprehensive  engine  of  cruelty;  and  would  have 
tortured  great  numbers  of  good  Chxistians  and  good  subjects."  History 
of  the  Puritans,  Part  iii.  chap.  10. 

"  The  following  is  the  act  referred  to.  An  act  passed  by  the  Parliament 
of  England,  May  *2,  1648.     Extracted  from  Scobell's  Collection. 

"  For  punishing  Blasphemies  and  Hei-esies.  For  the  preventing  of  the 
growth  and  spreading  of  heresy  and  blasphemy,  be  it  ordained  by  the 
Lords  and  Commons  in  this  present  Parliament  assembled,  that  all  such 
persons  as  siiall  from  and  after  the  date  of  this  present  ordinance  willingly 
by  preaching,  teaching,  printing  or  writing,  maintain 

That  there  is  no  God,  or, 

That  God  is  not  present  in  all  places,  doth  not  know  and  foreknow  all 
things,  or  that  he  is  not  Almighty,  that  he  is  not  perfectly  holy,  or  that 
he  is  not  Eternal,  or 

That  the  Father  is  not  God,  the  Son  is^  noi  God,  or  that  the  Holy  Ghost 


100  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIYERSALISM.        [Book  III 

avowed  and  defended  with  unusual  zeal.  Yet  such  was 
the  fact ;  and  we  adduce  it  as  an  evidence  of  the  insuf- 
ficiency of  human  laws  to  arrest  the  progress  of  free 
inquiry  ;  and  of  the  disposition  of  those  in  whom  the  love 
of  truth  is  the  predominant  passion,  to  set  arrogant  rulers  at 
defiance,  and  to  defend  conscientious  opinions  at  the  risk 
of  liberty  and  life.  It  should  however,  be  remarked,  that 
the  political  troubles  of  the  times,  by  preventing  a  rigid 
execution  of  the  statutes  relating  to  religion,  gave  to  the 
various  sects  an  opportunity  of  promulgating  their  senti- 


is  not  God,  or  that  they  Three  are  not  one  eternal  God:  or  that  shall  in 

like  manner  maintain  and  publish, 

That  Christ  is  not  God  equal  with  the  Father,  or  shall  deny  the  man- 
hood of  Christ,  or  that  the  Godhead  and  manhood  of  Christ  are  several 
natures,  or  that  the  humanity  of  Christ  is  pui-e  and  unspotted  ol  all  sin; 
or  that  shall  maintain  and  publish  as  aforesaid. 

That  Christ  did  not  die,  nor  rise  from  the  dead,  nor  is  ascended  into 
heaven  bodily,  or 

That  shall  deny  his  death  is  meritorious  in  the  behalf  of  believers ;  or 
that  shall  maintain  and  publish  as  aforesaid. 

That  Jesus  Christ  is  not  the  Son  of  God,  or 

That  the  Holy  Scripture  (viz.)  of  the  Old  Testament,  Genesis,  Exodus, 
Leviticus,  Numbers,  Deuteronomy,  Joshua,  Judges,  Ruth,  1  Samuel,  2 
Samuel,  1  Kings,  2  Kings,  1  Chronicles,  2  Chronicles,  Ezra,  Nehemiah, 
Esther,  Job,  i'salms.  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  Song  of  Solomon,  Isaiah, 
Jeremiah,  Lamentations,  Ezekiel,  Daniel,  Hosea,  Joel,  Amos,  Obediah, 
Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum,Habakkuk,  Zephaniah,  Haggai,  Zechariah, Malachi. 
Of  the  New  Testament,  the  Gospels  according  to  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke, 
John.  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  Corin- 
thians the  fii'st,  Corinthians  the  second,  Galatians,  Ephesians,  Phillipians, 
Colossians,  Thessalonians  the  first,  Thessalonians  the  second,  to  Timothy 
the  first,  to  Timotliy  the  second,  to  Titus,  to  Philemon,  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,  the  Epistle  of  James,  the  first  and  second  Epistle  of  Peter,  the 
first,  second  and  third  Epistles  of  John,  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  the  Revelation 
of  John,  is  not  the  word  of  God,  or 

That  the  bodies  of  men  shall  not  rise  again  after  they  are  dead,  or 

That  there  is  no  day  of  judgment  after  death. 

All  such  maintaining  and  publishing  of  such  error  or  errors,  with  ob- 
stinacy therein,  shall  by  virtue  hereof  be  adjudged  felony,  and  all  such 
persons  upon  complaint  or  proof  made  of  the  same  ia  any  of  the  cases 
aforesaid,  before  any  two  of  the  next  justices  of  the  peace  for  that  place 
or  county,  by  the  oaths  of  two  witnesses  (which  said  justices  of  the  peace 
in  such  cases  shall  hereby  have  power  to  adiainister)  or  confession  of  the 
party,  the  said  party  so  accused  shall  be  by  the  said  justices  of  peace  com- 
mitted to  prison  without  bail  or  mainprise,  until  the  next  gaol  delivery  to 
be  holden  for  that  place  or  county ,  and  the  witnesses  likewise  shall  be 
bound  over  by  the  said  justices  unto  the  said  gaol  delivery  to  give  in  their 
evidence;  and  at  the  said  gaol  delivery  the  party  shall  be  indicted  for 
feloniously  publishing  and  maintaining  such  error,  and  in  case  the  indict- 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  101 

ments  with  greater  impunity.  The  officers  of  justice, 
excited  by  multiplying  and  conflicting  interests,  were 
rendered  inattentive,  excepting  when  urged  on  by  the 
clergy,  to  violations  of  laws,  designed  to  guard  the  purity 
of  the  Church.  Besides,  where  laws  of  this  kind  are 
numerous,  and  are  also  continually  increasing  in  number, 
they  become  less  efficacious,  and  rather  promote  the  cause 
they  were  enacted  to  restrain.  Nor  should  it  be  forgotten 
that  the  authority  of  the  Parliament  was  greatly  lessened. 
The  rise  of  the  Independents  checked  the  Presbyterians  in 

ment  be  found,  and  the  party  upon  his  trial  shall  not  abjure  his  said 
error,  and  defence  and  maintenance  of  the  same,  he  shall  suffer  the  pains 
of  death,  as  in  case  of  felony  without  benefit  of  clergy. 

But  in  case  he  shall  recant  or  renounce  and  abjure  his  said  error  or 
errors,  and  the  maintenance  and  publishing  of  the  same,  he  shall  never- 
theless remain  in  prison  until  he  shall  find  two  sureties,  being  subsidy 
men,  that  shall  be  bound  with  him  before  two  or  more  justices  of  the 
peace  or  gaol  delivery,  that  he  shall  not  henceforth  publish  or  manitain 
as  aforesaid,  the  said  errors  any  more;  and  the  said  justices  shall  have 
power  hereby  to  take  bail  in  such  cases. 

And  be  it  farther  enacted,  that  in  case  any  person  formerly  indicted  for 
publishing  and  maintaining  of  such  erroneous  opinion  or  opinions,  as 
aforesaid,  and  renouncing  and  abjuring  the  same,  shall  nevertheless  agaia 
publish  iind  maintain  his  said  former  error  or  errors,  as  aforesaid,  and 
the  same  proved  as  afbresaid,  the  said  party  so  offending  shall  be  indicted 
as  aforesaid.  And  in  case  the  indictment  be  then  found  upon  the  trial, 
and  it  shall  appear  thtit  formerly  the  party  was  convicted  of  the  same 
error,  and  publisliingand  maintaining  thereof,  and  renounced  and  abjured 
the  same,  the  oifender  shall  suffer  death  as  in  case  of  felony,  without 
benefit  of  clergy. 

Be  it  further  enacted  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  all  and  every  per- 
son or  persons,  that  shall  publish  or  maintain  as  aforesaid,  any  of  the 
several  errors  hereafter  ensuing,  viz. 

That  all  men  shall  be  saved,  or 

That  man  by  nature  liath  free  will  to  turn  to  God,  or 

That  God  may  be  worshipped  in  or  by  pictures  or  images,  or 

That  the  soul  of  any  man  after  death  goeth  neither  to  heaven  or  hell, 
but  to  purgatory,  or 

That  the  soul  of  man  dieth  or  sleepeth  when  the  body  is  dead,  or 

That  Revelations  or  the  workings  of  the  spirit  are  a  rule  of  faith  or 
Christian  life,  though  diverse  from  or  contrary  to  the  written  word  of 
God,  or 

That  man  is  bound  to  believe  no  more  than  by  his  reason  he  can  com- 
prehend, or 

That  the  Moral  Law  of  God  contained  in  the  ten  commandments  is  no 
rule  of  Christian  life,  or 

That  a  believer  need  not  repent  or  pray  fur  the  pardon  of  sins,  or 

That  the  two  Sacraments  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  SujDper  are  not 
ordinances  commanded  by  the  word  of  God,  or 

That  the  baptizing  of  inf  mts  is  unlawful,  or  such  baiitisru  is  void,  and 

9* 


102  MODERN   HISTORY  OP   [JNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IIL 

their  mad  course,  and,  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  speak- 
ing, the  former  was  perhaps  the  predominant  sect.  Of  all 
the  Christian  sects  which  had  sprung  up,  they  were  the 
most  favorable  to  toleration  as  has  been  shown.  They 
would  admit  of  no  spiritual  courts,  no  government  among 
pastors,  no  interposition  of  the  magistrate  in  religious 
concerns,  no  fixed  encouragement  to  any  system  of  doc- 
trine. Every  one  was  by  them  permitted  to  preach  as  he 
felt  himself  moved  thereunto.  It  was,  as  we  have  said, 
during  the  absence  of  the  army,  the  chief  prop  of  the 
Independents,  that  the  Parliament  passed  these  cruel 
statutes ;  and  we  may  judge,  whether  any  laws  they 
passed,  which  were  opposed  by  the  former,  could  have 

that  such  persons  ought  to  be  baptized  again,  and  in  pursuance  thereof 
shall  baptize  any  pei'son  formerly  baptized;  or 

That  the  observation  of  the  Lord's  Day  as  it  is  enjoined  by  the  laws  and 
orlinances  of  this  Realm,  is  not  according,  or  is  contrary  to  the  word  of 
Gol,  or 

That  it  is  not  lawful  to  join  in  publique  prayer,  or  family  prayer,  or  to 
teach  children  to  pray,  or 

That  the  Churches  of  England  are  no  true  churches,  nor  their  ministers 
and  ordinances  true  ministers  and  ordinances,  or 

That  the  Church  governed  by  Presbytery  is  anti-christian  or  unlaw- 
ful, or 

That  Magistracy  or  the  power  of  the  civil  magistrate  by  law  established 
in  England  is  unlawful,  or 

That  all  iise  of  arms  though  for  the  publique  defence  (and  be  the  cause 
never  so  just)  is  xinlawful. 

And  in  case  the  party  accused  of  such  publishing  and  maintaining  of 
any  of  the  said  ei-rors  shall  thereof  be  convicted  to  have  published  and 
maintained  the  same  as  aforesaid,  by  the  testimony  of  two  or  more  Avit- 
nesses  upon  oath,  or  confession  of  the  said  party  before  two  of  the  next 
justices  of  the  peace  fur  the  said  place  or  county,  whereof  one  to  be  of  the 
quorum,  (who  are  hereby  required  and  authorized  to  send  for  Avitnesses 
and  examine  upon  oath  in  such  cases,  in  the  presence  of  the  party)  the 
party  so  convicted  shall  be  ordered  by  the  said  justices  to  renounce  his 
said  errors  in  the  publique  congregation  of  the  same  parish  from  whence 
the  complaint  doth  come,  or  where  the  nflence  was  committed,  and  in  case 
he  refuseth  or  neglecteth  to  perform  the  same,  at  or  upon  the  di^y,  time 
and  place  appointed  by  the  said  justices,  then  he  shall  be  committed  to 
prison  by  the  said  justices,  until  he  shall  find  two  sufficient  sureties  before 
two  justices  of  peace  for  the  said  place  or  county  (whereof  one  shall  be 
of  the  quoi'um)  that  he  shall  not  publish  or  maintain  the  said  error  or 
errors  any  more. 

Provided  always,  and  be  it  ordained  by  the  authority  aforesaid,  that  no 
attainder  by  virtue  hereof  shall  extend,  either  to  the  forfeiture  of  the 
estate,  real  or  personal,  of  such  jierson  attainted,  or  corruption  of  such 
jierson's  blood." 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  103 

much  force.  The  danger  of  violating  them  could  at  no 
time  have  been  great,  and  must  have  lessened  as  the 
Independents  increased  in  number,  and  under  the  Protector 
it  entirely  ceased. ^ 


GEBAKD  WINSTANLET  DEFENDS  UNIVERSALISM. 

VII.  To  Gerard  Winstanley  must  be  assigned  a  place 
among  those  who  defended  Universalism  at  this  period. 
Of  his  character  and  standing  in  society  little  is  known, 
except  what  may  be  inferred  from  those  of  his  works  which 
have  reached  us.  Regardless  of  the  penalties  to  which  he 
knew  he  would  expose  himself  by  avowing,  and  more  par- 
ticularly by  publicly  defending  his  favorite  doctrine  of  the 
ultimate  salvation  of  all  mankind,  he,  at  this  period,  wrote 
and  published  several  small  works  on  this  subject ;  and  it 
is  a  coincidence  which  ought  to  be  remembered,  that  one 
of  these  works  was  published  in  London  during  the  sitting 
of  Parliament,  and  bears  date  in  the  same  month  in  which 
the  cruel  law  just  mentioned  passed  in  that  body.*  This 
author  had  before  publicly  defended  the  same  doctrine, 
and  continued  to  do  it  for  several  years  afterward.  Many 
chimeras  were  intermingled  with  the  truths  he  maintained, 
and  he  partook  largely  of  the  disposition  which  then  pre- 
vailed, to  give  to  the  whole  Scriptures  an  allegorical  sense. 
It  is  probable  he  was  not  a  man  of  learning ;  but  for  stern 
devotion  to  truth,  and  patience  under  afflictions  of  various 
kinds,  he  deserves  the  highest  praise.  On  the  subject  of 
man's  final  destiny,  he  says,  "  The  mystery  of  God  is  this, 
God  will  bruise  this  serpent's  head,  and  cast  that  murderer 
out  of  heaven,  the  human  nature,  wherein  it  dwells  in 
part,  as  in  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  and  he  will  dwell  in  the 
whole  creation  in  time,  and  so  deliver  all  mankind  out  of 


*  Hume,  chap.  Ixi. 

^  The  statute  wa.s  enacxed  iVIay  2,  1648.     Winstanley 's  work  was  pub- 
lished the  20tli  of  the  same  month. 


104  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  HI. 

that  bondage.  This  I  see  to  be  a  truth,  both  in  my  own 
experience,    and  by  testimony   of    Scripture,    as   God   is 

pleased  to  teach  me But  this  mystery  of  God  is 

not  to  be  done  all  at  once,  but  in  several  dispensations, 
some  whereof  are  passed,  some  are  in  being,  and  some  are 
yet  to  come  ;  but  when  the  mysterj^  of  God  is  absolutelj' 
finished,  or,  as  the  Scriptures  say,  the  Son  hath  delivered 
up  the  kingdom  to  the  Father,  this  will  be  the  conclusion, 
that  God's  work  shall  be  redeemed  and  live  in  God,  and 
God  in  it  ;  but  the  creature's  work  without  God  shall  be 
lost  and  perish.  Man,  Adam,  or  whole  creation  of  man- 
kind, which  is  God's  work,  shall  be  delivered  from  cor- 
ruption, bondage,  death  and  pain,  and  the  serpent  that 
caused  the  fall,  shall  only  perish."  ^  Again,  he  says, 
"  What  is  the  doctrine  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 
What  Jesus  Christ  is,  I  have  showed  before.  The  doctrine 
or  report  of  him  is  this  :  that  mankind  shall  be  by  him 
reconciled  to  his  Maker,  and  be  made  one  in  spirit  with 
Him  ;  i.  e.  that  the  curse  shall  be  removed,  and  the  power 
of  it  killed  and  consumed.  And  that  created  flesh,  by  that 
mighty  power,  the  man  of  truth,  shall  be  made  subject  to 
the  spirit  that  made  it ;  so  that  the  spirit  which  is  the 
Father,  may  became  all  in  all,  the  chief  ruler  in  flesh. 
And  truly  this  is  but  according  to  the  current  of  the  whole 
Scripture  ;  that  in  the  day  of  Christ  every  one  shall  be 
made  of  one  heart  and  one  spirit,  i.  e.  that  all  shall  be  brought 
in  to  acknowledge  tlie  Father,  to  obey  him,  walk  humbly 
before  him,  and  live  in  peace  and  love  in  him.  This  is  the 
doctrine  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel.  This  is  glad  tidings  to 
hear  of.  But  when  you  are  made  to  enjoy  this  doctrine  as 
yours,  then  you  shall  know  what  it  is  to  know  the  Son, 
and  what  it  is  to  be  set  free  by  the   Son."*    Perhaps  the 


*  See  his  work  entitled  "Mystery  of  God." 

*  See  "Truth  lifting  up  its  head  above  Scandal's."  Preface  to  the  1st 
edition  of  Jeremy  White.  Winstanley's  works  were  so  far  as  we  liave 
ascertained,  "  The  Breaking  of  the  Day  of  God;"  "  The  Mystery  of  God, 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  105 

following'  is  as  direct  a  testimony  as  has  come  down  to  ns, 
of  his  faith  in  Universalism  ;  "  But  this  is  not  the  end,  for 
as  yet  the  Son  hath  not  delivered  np  the  kingdom  to  the 
Father,  for  he  must  reign  till  all  enemies  be  subdued,  but 
death,  curse  and  sorrow  are  not  yet  quite  subdued,  for  it 
reigns  over  part  of  the  creation  still,  even  over  those  poor 
creatures  that  were  lost,  or  that  did  not  enter  into  the 
city,  but  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  The  serpent  as 
yet  holds  a  power,  for  there  is  part  of  God's  work  not  yet 
delivered  from  his  bondage  ;  and  the  serpent  would  be 
glad,  and  it  would  be  some  ease  to  his  torment,  if  any  of 
God's  works  might  die  and  perish  with  him.  As  I  have 
heard  some  say,  that  they  would  be  content  to  suffer  the 
raising  of  a  new  war  in  England  [this  was  written  just 
after  the  civil  war]  so  that  such  as  they  mentioned  might 
suffer  as  well  as  they  ;  this  is  the  spirit  of  the  serpent. 
But  the  serpent  only  shall  perish,  and  God  will  not  lose  a 
hair  that  he  made,  he  will  redeem  His  whole  creation  from 
DEATH,"  See  the  work  entitled  "  Mystery  of  God,"  p.  46, 
4'7.  The  author  then  proceeds  to  answer  the  objection 
founded  on  the  application  of  the  word  everlasting  to  pun- 
ishment, and  says  that  as  it  respects  the  serpent  the  pun- 
ishment will  be  absolutely  everlasting  ;  but  that  the  word 
everlasting  was  used  by  the  Jews  not  in  the  absolute  sense  ; 
and  he  proceeds  to  adduce  cases  in  which  it  is  thus  used 
in  the  Scriptures,  pp.  50,  51. 

These  defenders  of  the  doctrine  of  God's  impartial  and 
triumphant  love,  realized  fully  the  truth  of  their  Lord's 
premonition,  "  in  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation." 
They  were  unjustly  accused  of  denying  the  existence  of 
God,  of  rejecting  Jesus  Christ,  the  authority  of  the  sacred 
Scriptures,  and  the  duty  and  usefulness  of  prayer.  Win- 
concerning  the  ■whole  creation,  mankind;"  "The  Father's  teaching  the 
only  satisfiiction  to  waiting  souls;"  "Truth  lifting  up  its  head  above 
Scandal's;"  "  The  new  Law  of  Righteousness  budding  forth,  in  restoring 
the  whole  creation  from  the  bondage  of  the  curse ,  or  a  Glimpse  at  the  New 
Heaven,"  &c.  &c. 


106  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  HI. 

Stanley  bears  testimony  that  William  Everard,  after  suffer- 
ing- much  misrepresentation  in  these  particulars,  was  seized, 
at  the  instigation  of  the  Clergy,  by  the  bailiffs  of  Kingston 
and  cast  into  prison. 

WILLIAM    EARBURY,  THE  INDEPENDENT. 

VIII.  Among  the  Universalists  of  this  period,  a  place 
must  be  given  also  to  William  Earbury,  a  preacher  of  great 
reputation  among  the  Independents,  and,  of  course,  a 
most  violent  opposer  of  the  Presbyterians.  He  held  several 
disputes  with  them  in  public  on  the  subject  of  their  differ- 
ences ;  and  on  one  occasion,  he  obtained  a  triumph  over 
his  adversaries.^  Shortly  after,  he  was  challenged  to  a 
disputation  by  Francis  Cheynel,  which  was  conducted  in 
St.  Mary's  Church,  London.  Cheynel,  whose  life  Dr. 
Johnson  has  written,  and  who  was  a  man  of  no  little  emi- 
nence, was  appointed  by  the  Parliament  one  of  the  visiters 
to  Oxford,  afterwards  was  made  Bachelor  of  Divinity,  and 
at  last  filled  a  Professorship.  Earbury,  during  the  Pro- 
tectorship, was  a  minister  in  South  Wales,  and  had  a 
salary  appointed  him,  by  authority,  of  £100  per  annum.^  He 
preached  publicly  the  restoration  of  all  men ;  and  is 
charged  by  Edwards  ^  with  holding  many  gross  eiTors,  one 
of  which  was  that  of  Universal  Restoration.  Although, 
beside  his  salary,  he  had  nothing  to  depend  on  for  the  sup- 
port of  himself  and  family,  yet  he  threw  it  up,  his  con- 
science accusing  him  of  preaching  for  hire ;  and  he 
published  a  treatise  on  that  account,  called  the  "  Terror  of 
Tythes,"  in  allusion  to  the  anxiety  he  had  felt.* 

^  Dr.  Johnson's  life  of  Francis  Cheynel. 

^  Preface  to  thii'd  edition  of  Jeremy  White  on  Divine  Goodness. 

^  Gangrena,  p.  109. 

*  Hume  says:  "  The  Parliament  went  so  fivr  as  to  make  some  approaches, 
in  one  province,  to  their  independent  model.  Almost  all  the  clergy  of 
Wales  being  ejected  as  malignant  itinerant  preachers  with  small  salaries, 
were  settled,  not  above  four  or  five  in  each  county;  and  these  being  fur- 
nished with  horses  at  the  public  expense,  hurried  from  place  to  place,  and 
carried,  as  they  expressed  themselves,  the  glad  tidings  of  the  gospel  " 
Chap.  Ix. 


A.  D.  1658.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  107 

A  collection  of  his  works  was  made  after  his  death,  and 
published,  a  copy  of  which  has  fallen  into  our  hands  ;  but 
with  a  mutilated  title  page.     We  are  obliged  to  give  it  as 

follows  :  " which  William  Earbury  left  upon 

record  for  the  saints  of  succeeding  ages.  Being  a  collec- 
tion of  the  writings  of  the  aforesaid  author,  for  the  benefit 
of  posterity.  Whereunto  is  added,  The  Honest  Ileretick, 
being  his  tryal  at  Westminster,  a  piece  never  printed 
before.     London,  1658." 

We  learn  from  this  work  that  he  was  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  that  he  had  friends  and  congregations  among  whom 
he  itinerated,  and  to  whom  he  preached  in  England,  Wales 
and  Ireland.  He  was  possessed  of  a  strong  mind,  and 
feared  not  the  face  of  man,  or  any  punishment  man  could 
inflict.  Although  he  lived  in  an  age  of  many  errors,  by 
which  he  would  be  more  or  less  aflected,  yet  he  had  an 
acute  understanding  of  the  gospel,  remarkable  for  that 
day. 

His  clear  views  of  the  atonement  may  be  seen  in  the 
following  paragraph  from  his  "  Answer  to  the  Articles  and 
charge,  exhibited  against  him,  before  the  honorable  com- 
mittee for  plundered  ministers,"  March  9,  1652.  See 
work  first  named,  pp.  322,  323  : 

"  In  truth  God  is  unyihangeable  in  His  essence,  not  being  (as  men  con- 
ceive) fii'st  in  love,  then  in  wrath,  then  in  love  again;  first  pleased,  then 
offended,  then  reconciled;  but  as  the  atoncmeiH  was  not  made  by  God,  but 
received  by  men,  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel;  so  it  was  manifested  then 
that  God  was  not  to  be  reconciled  to  men,  but  men  to  be  reconciled  to 
God:  for  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to  himself,  not  im- 
puting their  sins;  so  that  wrath  is  not  of  God's  part,  but  of  man's,  men 
being  by  nature  children  of  wrath.  Not  that  God  hath  wrath  to  any  man 
(as  man  to  another)  but  men  naturally  apprehending  wrath  in  God  do 
fear  and  fly  from  him,  as  fallen  Adam  did,  (though  God  fled  not  from 
him,  but  sought  him  out:)  likewise  man's  punishment  or  the  plagues  oj 
God  are  called  God's  wrath,  which  men  feeling  without  or  within  fall  to 
enmity  against  God  (though  God  be  no  enemy  to  man.)  But  when  the 
grace  of  God  that  bringing  salvation  to  men  appearcth,  then  the  kindness 
and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  towards  man  so  appcareth  in  the  death  of 
Christ  given  for  all,  for  the  ungodly,  and  for  the  unjust,  that  all  enmity 


108  MODERN  HISTORY  OP  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III 

is  slain  thereby ;  for  if  being  enemies  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the 
death  oj"  His  Son,  much  more  being  reconciled  we  shall  be  saved  by  His 
life  ;  and  so  'tis  not  the  death  of  Christ  only,  but  the  life  of  Christ  in 
God,  revealed  in  us  by  the  spirit,  that  must  save  us. 

This  is  the  satisfaction  of  Christ's  death,  as  founded  on  God's  love,  in 
which  death  the  Father's  justice,  a7id  good  pleasure  was  satisfied,  and  the 
Son  satisjied  to  finish  it  ivith  blood,  by  which  the  saints  sprinkled  by  the 
spirit  are  sweetly  satisfied,  and  when  the  world  shall  be  saved  thereby,  or 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth  see  the  salvation  of  our  God,  then  all  men  shall 
be  satisfied.  And  I  hope  by  this  your  honors  are  satisfied  also."  pp.  322, 
323. 

FIEST  FRUITS   AND  THE  HARVEST. 

From  the  same  work. 

' '  But  as  God  yet  dwells  only  in  the  saints,  or  is  manifest  in  their  flesh 
only;  the  saints  in  a  special  manner  being  called  the  house  of  God,  his 
holy  temple,  and  habitation  of  His  holiness,  the  holy  of  holies  wherein  all 
His  glory  appears,  and  to  whom  all  His  secrets  are  revealed  and  made 
known;  therefore,  though  God  shall  be  so  revealed  to  all,  that  all  flesh 
shall  see  his  glory  together;  yet  the  saints  shall  first  appear  in  glory,  and 
God's  appearance  be  first  manifested  in  them,  they  being  therefore  called, 
the  first  fruits  of  the  creation,  that  is,  of  all  mankind,  who  are  indeed  the 
lump  and  full  crop;  and,  therefore,  are  as  holy  in  God  and  with  God,  as 
the  first  fruits,  as  the  saints  here;  for  though  these  are  holy,  elect,  and 
beloved  of  God  in  his  first  appearance;  yet,  when  God  or  Christ  in  us 
shall  appear  the  second  time  without  sin  to  salvation,  then  no  sin,  nothing 
but  salvation  shall  appear,  as  we  shall  show  another  time;  and,  therefore, 
as  no  man  is  holy  now,  but  God  only,  the  holy,  holy,  holy;  so  all  men  are 
holy  in  God, /or  the  earth  is  full  of  his  glory;  as  yet  indeed  the  saints  are 
called,  holy  men  of  God,  not  in  respect  of  God,  but  in  relation  to  men,  in 
whom  God  is  not  yet  manifest;  so  the  saints  are  called  the  elect  and  be- 
loved of  God;  not  but  that  God  loves  every  man,  as  the  Scriptures  speak 
of  the  kindness  and  love  of  God  to  all  men;  but  all  men  having  not  God 
manifest  in  them,  nor  his  love  made  known  to  them,  are  said  to  be  hated, 
condemned  and  damned,  because  that  His  love,  their  life  and  salvation  is 
not  yet  manifest  to  them;  so  they  are  said  to  be  under  wrath,  under  tlie 
power  of  death,  darkness,  and  of  the  devil,  the  devil  dwelling  in  them, 
and  working  in  them;  not  as  if  all  men  were  not  of  God,  and  God  the 
Father  of  all,  and  all  men  the  offspring  of  God,  God  dwelling  in  them, 
and  they,  being  in  God,  as  living  in  him,  moving  and  having  their  very 
being  in  God,  Acts  xvii.  27,  28,  29.  But,  these  being  yet  under  the  power 
of  death,  and  dark  appearing  of  God,  that  is,  the  devil;  God  hath  chosen 
a  company  of  men,  to  whom  he  will  first  manifest  all  his  love,  light,  life, 
glory,  salvation,  and  himself  to  them,  dwelling  in  them.  These  are,  there- 
fore, called  the  holy,  the  elect,  and  the  house  of  God."  pp.  20,  21. 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVBRSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  109 

EXTRACTS,  SHOWING   EAKBURT   TO    HAVE    BEEN    A    UNIVERSALIST. 

"  The  more  glorious  any  deliverance  is,  which  God  will  manifest  in  and 
by  His  ajjpearance  in  the  saints,  the  more  .general  and  public  the  deliver- 
ance will  be,  not  of  a  King  or  Parliament,  but  of  the  kingdom  and  peo- 
ple, yea,  of  all  i^eople  also  at  last;  for  as  Christ  is  the  Saviour  of  the 
world,  and  of  all  men;  so  the  saints  shall  be  saviours  in  like  manner,  that 
is,  God  in  the  saints  shall  appear  as  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  when  the 
appearance  of  the  great  God  and  Saviour  shall  be  manifested  in  them ;  for 
this  is  Christ,  and  the  appearance  of  Christ.  Therefore,  the  saving  of  a 
particular  person,  of  a  King  or  Parliament,  is  but  a  false  Christ,  as  I  said 
before,  in  resjiect  of  the  salvation  of  kingdom  and  people,  which  God  in 
the  saints  apjjears  for."  p.  26. 

"  But  who  hath  desinsed  the  day  of  small  things?  What  man  dares 
despise  the  beginnings  of  God  ?  The  first  breakings  forth  of  his  glory, 
and  of  that  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  yea,  of  the  sons  of  men  ? 
For  the  whole  creation,  all  mankind  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bondage 
of  corruption,  Rom.  viii.  21,  from  all  oppression,  not  only  in  the  spirit  at 
last,  but  in  the  letter  also  from  all  visible  oppressors."  p.  32. 

"  God  may  bring  forth  His  glory  before  all  men,  or  that  glory  may  be 
exalted  above  grace,  the  glory  of  God  above  the  glory  of  the  best  men. 
This  is  a  strange  and  secret  thing,  a  thing  that  I  never  spoke  of  before, 
nor  knew  till  now.  'Tis  written,  Isaiah  Ix.  5,  The  glory  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together;  that  is,  all  men  at  once 
shall  see  the  glory  of  God.  Why  so?  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it;  that  is,  God  will  do  what  he  says,  that's  more  than  good  men 
will  do ;  but  God  alone  can  do  what  he  speaks,  even  bring  forth  his  glory 
before  all  men,  that  all  may  see  it."  p.  175. 

"  What  gospel  or  glad  tidings  is  it  to  tell  the  world,  that  none  should  be 
saved  but  the  elect  and  believers?  whereas  Christ  cume  to  save  only  the 
lost,  giving  a  word  of  life  to  all  men,  that  they  might  believe,  or  slutting 
up  all  in  unbelief,  that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all,  Romans  xi.  32." 
p.  119. 

"  For  the  mystery  of  God  shall  be  finished,  fully  known,  and  the  angel 
swears  by  God,  that  time  shall  be  no  more;  for  all  shall  be  taken  up  into 
eternity,  into  God  himself,  and  God  shall  be  in  all."  p.  244.^ 

EICHARD    COPPIN,    DEFENDS    UNIVERSALISM. 

IX.  But  one  of  the  most  painful  instances  of  determined 
malice  which  it  becomes  our  duty  to  record,  occurs  in  the 

^  The  following  named  work  has  reference  to  Mr.  Earbury:  "Truth 
Triumphing  over  Error  and  Heresy;  or,  a  Relation  of  a  Disputation  at 
Oxon  in  St.  Mary's  Church,  between  Mr.  Cheynel  and  Mr.  Earbury  a 
Socinian."    London,  1646. 

10 


110  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  DNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III. 

persecution  of  Richard  Coppin.  Gifted  with  an  inquiring 
mind,  he  renounced  successively  the  doctrines  of  the 
Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians,  and  listened  for  a  time 
to  the  preaching  of  the  Independents  and  Anabaptists. 
From  the  latter  he  may  have  received  the  first  hints  of  the 
doctrine  of  Universalism ;  but  he  soon  seceded  from  that 
class  on  accotmt  of  some  differences  of  opinion,  and  stood 
forth  as  a  public  defender  of  the  doctrine  of  the  restoration 
of  all  things  to  God,  w^hich  was  his  distinguishing  senti- 
ment. He  lived  at  this  time  in  Berkshire,  where  he  wrote 
a  book,  entitled  "  Divine  Teachings."  Opposition  at  home 
drove  him  abroad ;  and  he  declared,  by  preaching  and 
writing,  both  in  public  and  private,  and  from  house  to 
house,  as  well  as  in  Churches,  streets  and  market-places, 
the  doctrines  he  believed.  "  From  all  that  we  can  collect 
concerning  this  writer,  it  appears  that  he  was  a  man  of 
unusual  strength  of  mind,  but  without  the  advantages  of 
literature  ;  that  he  possessed  a  fervid  and  lively  imagina- 
tion, and  exercised  it  in  giving  allegorical  interpretations 
of  the  Scriptures,  of  which  method  of  treating  the  word 
of  God,  he  seems  to  have  been  excessively  fond ;  that  he 
held  many  public  disputations  with  the  clergy  of  the  estab- 
lished Church,  which  circumstance  shows  that  he  was  not 
considered  beneath  their  notice,  and  that  they  viewed  him 
as  rather  dangerous  to  their  schemes  of  divinity ;  that  he 
was  calumniated  and  persecuted  for  his  religious  opinions, 
sufl'ered  much  in  support  of  the  doctrine  that  he  had 
espoused  ;  and  finally,  it  appears,  that  he  believed  in  the 
immediate  happiness  of  mankind,  when  death  dissolves  the 
earthly  tabernacle."  ^  Coppin' s  habits  were  those  of  his 
time.  It  was  an  age  of  contention,  of  severity,  of  fanati- 
cism ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  he»partook  of 

'  See  an  account  of  Coppin,  by  Rev.  Edward  Turner,  published  in  Evan- 
gelical Repertory,  p.  122.     Mr.  Turner  was  in  error  in  supposing  that 
('oi){)in   held   disputes  witli   the  clergy  of  the  Esta))lished  Cliurch,  if  he 
meant  tlic  Episc(>])al  clergy;  his  opponents  jirincipally  were  of  the  Presby 
terians  and  Inde])cudcnts. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVER9ALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  Ill 

the  common  feeling.  He  belieyed  himself  divinely  illumi- 
nated, and  claimed  to  know  the  true  sense  of  the  Scriptures 
by  the  operation  of  the  divine  Spirit  upon  his  mind.  What 
he  believed  he  defended  ;  he  loved  the  truth  ;  and  in  the 
midst  of  strong  opposition  he  quailed  not. 


IS    INDICTED    AND    TRIED    AT    WORCESTER, 

X.  The  Clergy,  finding  that  his  labors  drew  many  of 
their  people  away,  made  complaint  against  him,  and  ob- 
tained a  warrant  to  bring  him  before  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
on  an  accusation  of  blasphemy.  He  was  bound  over  to 
the  next  Assizes  at  Worcester,  where  he  was  tried  before 
the  Lord  Chief  Baron  Wilde.  In  the  indictment,  he  was 
charged,  among  other  things,  with  believing  that  "  all  men 
whatsoever  shall  be  saved,  that  there  shall  be  no  general 
day  of  judgment."  He  made  his  own  defence,  avowing 
and  proving  his  belief  in  Universal  Salvation,  and  main- 
taining that  men  are  judged  on  the  earth,  by  the  power  of 
Christ's  spirit  and  truth.  He  had  been  preaching  at  Emload 
in  Worcestershire,  to  which  place  he  had  been  invited  by 
some  of  the  eminent  men  of  that  parish,  where  he  continued 
for  the  space  of  four  days,  with  the  consent  of  the  clergyman. 
But  the  people  adhered  to  him  so  much,  that  the  wrath  of 
the  clergyman  was  excited,  who  called  in  his  brethren  from 
the  neighboring  parishes  to  his  help.  They  disputed  with 
Coppin,  but  gained  no  advantage  ;  and  finally,  to  gi'atify 
their  disappointment  and  revenge,  they  obtained  a  warrant 
for  his  arrest  on  a  charge  of  blasphemy.  Upon  his  exami- 
nation he  was  bound  over  to  the  Assizes  at  Worcester, 
where  he  appeared  on  the  23d  day  of  March,  (1651,)  in  the 
presence  of  his  clerical  accusers.^  They  had  drawn  up 
the  form  of  the  bill  of  indictment,  which  they  presented  to 


*  Rev.  Ralph  Nevil,  of  Emload,  and  Rev.  Giles  Collier,  of  Blockly,  were 
the  leaders  in  this  piosecution. 


112  MODERN    HISTORY    OP  UNIVER9ALISM.  Book  IIL 

the  Grand  Jury,  who  so  found  it  and  returned  it  to  Court. 
The  following  is  the  charge,  as  given  in  Coppin's  words  : 

1.  "  That  I  should  say,  that  they  were  evil  angels,  (meaning  the  minis- 
ters who  preach  the  Gospel  of  Christ,)  that  told  people  of  damnation,  and , 
that  such  ought  not  to  be  heard  or  believed. 

2.  That  all  men  whatsoever  shall  be  saved. 

3.  That  those  who  heard  me  were  all  in  heaven  and  in  glory. 

4.  That  God  was  as  much  in  them  as  in  Christ. 

5.  That  the  day  of  judgment  was  begun  1600  years  ago. 

6.  That  there  was  no  general  day  of  judgment. 

7.  That  there  was  no  heaven  but  in  man. 

8.  That  he  that  thought  there  was  a  hell,  to  him  there  was  a  hell;  but 
he  that  thought  there  was  no  hell,  to  him  there  was  no  hell."  ^ 

Such  was  the  indictment.  On  his  trial  his  accusers  pro- 
duced a  book  written  by  him,  entitled,  "  Man's  Righteous- 
ness Examined."  The  judge  read  several  parts  of  it  to 
see  if  the  prisoner  would  acknowledge  them  as  his  own  ; 
all  which  (says  Coppin)  I  answered  and  owned  to  be  mine 
as  it  was  read.  Then  said  the  judge,  this  book  makes 
more  for  him  than  against  him  ;  for  you  accuse  him  of 
denying  heaven  and  hell,  when  he  acknowledges  both  in 
his  book  ;  which  book  the  judge  put  in  his  pocket  and  so 
came  to  the  indictment." 

As  to  the  first  charge,  Coppin  maintained  that  there  was 
a  dispensation  of  truth  and  a  dispensation  of  error  In  the 
world;  that  those  who  preach  the  love  of  Christ  to  all 
people  appear  to  be  good  messengers,  or  angels,  and  ought 
to  be  believed,  and  that  those  are  evil  angels,  or  messen- 
gers who  preach  up  sin  unpardoned,  and  hold  forth  damna- 
tion for  any  people  any  longer  than  while  they  believe 
not. 

He  acknowledged,  under  the  second  charge,  that  all 
men  shall  be  saved,  and  quoted  in  proof  of  it,  2  Samuel 
xiv.  14;  1  Timothy  ii.  4- 7  ;  Romans  v.  18;  xi.  32.  lie 
aflSrmed  that  in  preaching  that  all  men  shall  be  saved,  he 
only  declared    what   he   found   in   the    Bible.     "  But  my 

1  See  "  Truth's  Testimony."  p.  31. 


A.  D.  1G50.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  113 

accusers  (said  he)  were  troubled,  and  thought  my  answer 
too  large,  and  the  time  too  long  that  I  had  to  plead ;  who 
told  the  judge  that  my  lungs  were  so  strong,  that  if  he 
suffered  me  still  to  go  on,  I  would  never  have  done  ;  but 
the  judge  honestly  reproved  them,  saying,  that  he  had 
heard  them,  and  was  now  to  hearwje,  who  bid  me  go  on." 

When  he  came  to  the  fifth  point  in  the  indictment,  (viz. 
that  the  day  of  judgment  was  begun  1600  years  ago)  he 
said  :  "  My  Lord,  according  to  Scripture  acceptation  it  was 
so  ;  for,  said  Christ,  "  Now  is  the  judgment  of  this  world  ; 
now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world  be  cast  out ;  and  for 
judgment  am  I  come  into  this  world  (said  Christ)  that  they 
which  see  not  might  see  ;  and  they  which  see  might  be 
made  blind  ;  and  this  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment  accord- 
ing to  the  Scripture,  was  above  sixteen  hundred  years 
past,  and  yet  is  continued  to  this  day,  though  most  men 

are  blind  and  yet  see  it  not And  the  apostles  said 

that  the  time  was  then  come  that  judgment  must  begin 
at  the  house  of  God,  even  with  righteous  men,  or  men 
under  any  form  of  religion,  that  had  anything  of  their  own 
righteousness  to  trust  in,  besides  Christ,  their  righteous- 
ness." 

In  the  sixth  place  he  was  charged  with  holding  to  no 
general  day  of  judgment ;  and  on  this  point  he  said,  "  My 
Lord,  I  know  no  other  day  of  judgment  as  to  me,  than 
what  I  have  already  declared  to  your  lordship,  which  is  to 
be  the  same  with  every  creature  before  it  can  be  finished  ; 
and  this  may  be  said  to  be  a  general  day,  wherein  all  men 
are  to  appear  before  Christ,  to  be  judged  by  him  in  love, 
for  the  time  is  come,  &c.  And  though  this  time  of  judg- 
ment may  be  called  a  day,  yet  this  day  may  be  thousands 
of  years  before  all  the  world  in  every  man  may  be  judged, 
all  sin  and  transgression  finished  as  to  them,  and  they  all 
set  free  in  the  Lord,  for  a  day  with  the  Lord  is  as  a  thou- 
sand years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day,  &c.,  &c. 
10* 


114  MODERN   HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  III. 

In  regard  to  the  allegation  that  he  had  preached  "that 
there  was  no  heaven  but  in  man,"  he  said  "  those  words  do 
not  say  there  is  none  at  all,  but  that  it  is  in  man,  yet  with- 
out confinement,  and  this  the  Scripture  also  declares  ; 
therefoi-e,  if  we  would  know  where  heaven  is,  let  us  first 
know  what  it  is  ?  The  Scripture  tells  us,  that  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  is  righteousness,  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  that  it  is  within  us  ;  for  when  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
came  to  Christ  to  demand  of  him  when  the  kingdom  of 
God  should  come,  (as  men  still  do,)  he  answered  them  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation,  neither 
shall  they  say  lo  here,  or  lo  there  ;  for  behold  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  within  you,"  i  &c.,  &c. 

We  are  obliged  to  pass  over  much  that  Coppin  said  in 
his  defence,  lest  we  give  to  this  case,  interesting  as  it  is, 
too  large  a  share  of  room.  So  strong  was  the  public  pre- 
judice against  him,  that  the  jury  were  not  free  from  it,  and 
they  rendered  a  verdict  of  guilty.  The  Judge  was  aston- 
ished at  the  verdict,  and  asked  on  what  part  of  the  indict- 
ment the  prisoner  had  been  convicted.  They  replied,  "  Of 
that  concerning  heaven  and  hell."  He  replied,  "  that  it 
could  not  be  found  as  blasphemy  ;  "  and  calling  for  the 
statute  and  comparing  it  with  the  indictment,  he  said, 
"  he  that  shall  avowedly  affirm  and  maintain  that  there  is 
no  heaven  and  hell,  commits  blasphemy  by  that  act ;  the 
prisoner  doth  not  say,  but  doth  acknowledge  there  is  a 
heaven  and  hell  in  man,  as  you  see  him  prove,  and,  there- 
fore, doth  not  affirm  there  is  none  at  all."  ^  But  the  Judge, 
thinking  it  prudent  to  set  aside  the  verdict,  ordered  that 
the  prisoner  shall  continue  bound  till  the  next  assizes. 
Biit  when  the  time  came,  his  accusers  were  not  ready  to 
appear  against   him  ;  and   petitioned   the    court,  that   he 

»  See  "  Truths  Testimony."  pp.  33-43. 

^  The  hxw  of  August  9th,  1650,  made  it  a  crime  worthy  of  imprisonment 
to  affirm  that  tliere  is  neither  lieaven  nor  liell;"  and  it  seems  to  be  this 
passage  of  which  the  Judge  gave  a  construction. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIYERSALISM   IN   EIS'GLAND.  115 

might   be  bound  over   to  appear  at  Oxford   Assizes,   six 
months  from  that  time. 

We  next  find  him  at  Oxford,  before  Sargeant  Green,  on 
March  10,  1652.     The  charges  in  the  indictment  were, 

1.  "  That  Christ  died  for  his  own  sins,  as  -well  as  the  peoples. 

2.  That  there  is  no  hea\en  and  hell,  but  -what  is  in  man. 

3.  That  everlasting  life  shall  end  in  this  life." 

The  charges  were  supported  by  the  oath  of  a  Eev.  Mr, 
Beckingham,  of  Euston,  in  Oxfordshire,  in  whose  church 
Coppin  had  preached,  who  also  brought  some  of  his  con- 
gregation to  swear  to  the  same  points.  On  the  part  of  the 
prisoner,  certificates  were  presented  to  the  court,  that  he 
was  a  man  of  strict  virtue,  and  of  sober  and  discreet  life.^ 
He  pleaded  his  own  case  as  on  the  former  trial,  taking  the 
same  ground  as  before.     In  respect  lo  hell  he  said,  "  there 


^  Jl  copy  of  a  Certificate  ■presented  to  the  Court,  by  many  of  the  godly 
and  well  affected  people  living  about  Eusion,  in  behalf  of  Richard 
Coppin: 

We,  whose  names  are  hei-e  under-written,  were  all  at  the  hearing  of 
Richard  Coppin,  the  time  when  he  preached  at  Euston,  and  heard  all  that 
was  then  delivered ;  yet  heard  not  anything  delivered  by  him,  but  what 
was  truth,  according  to  the  Scripture  and  our  experience,  and  should  be 
glad  to  embrace  the  like  opportunity,  as  to  hear  the  like  again,  if  Provi- 
dence should  so  order  it.  And  whereas  (though  the  mistake  of  some  men 
in  their  apprehensions)  he  is  or  may  be  accused  for  anything  then  deliver- 
ed; as,  iir.st,  for  saying.  That  Christ  should  suffer  for  his  own  si?is  as 
well  as  the  peoples.  AVe  do  hereby  certify  that  he,  at  that  time,  did  again 
and  again  say,  that  Christ  sutfered  not  for  them  as  acted  by  him,  but  as 
imputed  to  him,  and  so  they  became  his;  which  he  proved  from  these 
Sci'iptures.  He  was  made  sin  for  us ;  and.  The  Lord  hath  laid  upon 
him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 

And,  secondly,  tliat  lie  should  say.  There  is  no  heaven  and  hell  but 
what  is  in  man.  He  did  not,  but  did  prove  from  Scripture  that  there  was 
a  heaven  and  hell  in  man,  not  denying  any  other,  which  by  others  might 
be  believed,  as  to  them. 

And,  thirdly,  that  he  should  say.  That  everlasting  life  should  end  in 
this  life.  He  did  not;  but  said,  That  there  was  that  written  in  Scripture. 
Such  was  said  to  be  everlasting,  yet  had  an  end ;  as  he  proved  from  the 
ending  of  the  first  Covenant  and  Priesthood  under  the  Law,  with  the 
conditions  thereof;  which  was  said  to  be  forever. 

And,  fourthly,  as  to  his  life  and  conversation,  it  hath  been  so  civil, 
honest  and  respectful  towards  all  men,  for  all  that  ever  we  saw  or  knew 
of  him,  that  none  ever  yet  could  accuse  him;  and,  therefore,  we  do  be- 
lieve, that  for  the  good  that  is  in  him,  and  proceeds  from  him,  to  the 
edifying  of  many  people,  he  is  hated  and  persecuted.     To  all  which  par- 


116  MODERN   HISTORY  OF   UNIYERSALISM.        [Book  HI. 

is  a  hell  also  for  the  wicked,  in  which  they  are  and  shall 
be  tormented  with  the  devil  and  false  prophet ;  but  for  the 
place,  what  and  where  it  is,  so  far  as  the  Scripture  is  silent 
upon  it,  we  are  to  be  silent,  and  cannot  determine  it  any 
further  than  the  Scripture  doth."  Again,  "  That  there  is 
a  heaven,  wherein  eternal  life  is  enjoyed  by  Christ  and  all 
his  ;  and  there  is  a  hell,  wherein  everlasting  punishment  is 
inflicted  upon  the  devil  and  all  his.  But  let  us  use  the 
Scripture  expression  of  it,  if  we  shall  declare  it,  which  is 
according  to  the  mind  of  God." 

The  Judge,  in  his  charge,  evidently  took  ground  in  favor 
of  the  prisoner  ;  but  still  the  jury  brought  him  in  guilty, 
being  overawed,  as  Coppin  alleged,  by  the  clergy,  who  fol- 
lowed them,  "  saj'ing  they  were  not  to  take  notice  of 
what  the  judge  had  said,  neither  of  my  answer,  but  the 
bill."  The  judge,  however,  would  not  sentence  the 
prisoner,  believing  his  accusers  and  the  jury  all  to  be 
moved  by  malice,  but  bound  him  over  to  the  next  assizes, 
to  their  great  disappointment  and  anger.  He  appeared 
the  second  time  at  Oxford,  before  Judge  Hutton  ;  but  hia 
accusers  came  not ;  and  when  proclamation  was  made  for 
his  discharge,  one  Kent,  sheriff  of  the  county,  desired  to 
declare  something  about  Coppin,  which  he  had  spoken  in 
London  ;  but  when  he  was  asked  what  it  was,  no  particu- 
lar could  be  mentioned,  but  said  he  had  heard  very  strange 

ticulars,  we  have  here  subscribed  our  names  and  shall  be  ready  to  take 
our  oaths.     Truth's  Testimony,  pp.  55,  56. 

A  copy  of  a   Certificate  presented  to  the  Court,  by  many  of  the  godly 
and  well  affected  people  of  Oxford,  in  the  behalf  of  Richard  Coppin: 

We,  the  inhabitants  of  the  city  of  Oxford,  whose  names  are  here  under- 
written, do  hereby  certify,  that  Richard  Coppin  hath  several  times 
preached  in  Oxford,  and  hath  been  heard  by  us;  who  never  heard  any- 
thing delivered  by  him,  to  our  knowledge,  but  what  hath  been  true  and 
sound  doctrine,  according  to  the  Scripture,  and  the  manifestation  of  God 
to  us.  And  we  do  also  certify  that  his  life  and  conversation  hath  ever 
been  towards  all  sorts  of  men,  honest  just  and  upright,  that  ever  we  could 
see,  know  or  liear  of  him.  Concerning  whicli,  we  have  here  subscribed 
our  names,  and  shall  be  also  ready  to  testify  uiion  oath.  Truth's  Testi- 
mony, p.  57. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  117 

things  declared  by  me  at  St.  Dunstan's  Church  in  London, 
before  a  great  congregation  of  people  of  great  quality,  to 
the  great  dishonor  of  God,"  &c.  But  the  court  paid  little 
attention  to  what  he  said,  and  Coppin  was  discharged. 
He  afterwards  made  a  memorial  to  the  Lord  Protector, 
setting  forth  the  persecutions  he  had  suffered  for  preaching 
the  doctrine  of  Jesus.* 

IS    INDICTED    AND   TRIED    AT   GLOUCESTER. 

XI.  The  malice  of  Coppin's  enemies  did  not  permit  him 
to  remain  long  at  peace.  On  Lord's  day,  March  19,  1653, 
he  was  at  Stow,  in  Gloucestershire.  He  attended  the 
Church,  and  heard  Rev.  Mr.  Elmes,  of  Winchcombe,  in 
the  morning,  who  preached,  as  Coppin's  says,  "  something 
contrary  to  truth."  By  permission,  Coppin  addressed  him 
a  question,  which  so  enraged  two  justices  of  the  peace, 
members  of  that  congregation,  that  they  ordered  the  con- 
stables to  arrest  him,  and  carry  him  to  the  house  of  the 
clergyman.  There  they  met  him,  and  desired  to  know 
whether  he  believed  in  "  a  God  and  devil,  a  heaven  and  a 
hell."  He  affirmed  that  he  did  believe  in  all ;  and  that 
though  there  were  lords  many  and  gods  many,  there  was 
but  one  true  God,  whom  men  did  most  ignorantly  worship. 
They  then  asked  him,  "whether  God  would  save  all  men 
or  no."  He  replied,  that  what  the  Scripture  said  he  would 
say,  and  the  Scripture  said  of  God,  that  he  will  have  all 
men  to  be  saved,  and  to  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  &c.  ;  but  we  see  not  yet  all  men  saved,  for  all  men 
have  not  this  testimony,  or  do  not  yet  believe  ;  for  he  that 
believes  not  is  condemned  already,  and  he  that  doth  be- 
lieve hath  the  witness  in  himself;  this  witness  is  Christ. 
Thus  they  continued  for  some  time,  asking  him  questions. 

In  the  meantime  the  people  had  gathered  in  great  num- 
bers to  hear  Coppin  at  the  afternoon  service  ;  no  house  was 

»  See  "  Truth's  Testimony."  pp.  50-77. 


118  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.       [Book  HI. 

able  to  contain  them  ;  and  before  one  o'clock  tliey  assem- 
bled in  the  street.  He  addressed  them.  He  urged  them 
to  resort  to  no  measures  contrary  to  peace.  He  called  on 
the  officers  to  take  notice  of  any  who  made  disturbance. 
He  then  commenced  his  discourse  and  had  preached  for 
about  half  an  hour,  when  Elmes,  the  minister  of  the  parish, 
and  the  two  justices  before  mentioned  came  riding  into  the 
crowd  on  their  horses,  endangering  the  lives  of  the  peo- 
ple. They  laid  hands  on  Coppin,  and  commanded  the 
people  to  assist,  which  they  refused,  believing  the  justices 
and  the  clergyman  to  be  the  real  disturbers  of  the  peace. 
It  happened  unhappily  that  there  were  two  mastiff  dogs  on 
the  ground,  who  were  incited  by  the  disturbance,  greatly 
increasing  the  danger  and  alarm.  Coppin,  however,  was 
at  length  arrested,  forbid  preaching  for  that  day,  and  on 
the  morrow  he  was  brought  before  Mr.  Justice  Crofts,  by 
whom  he  was  bound  over  to  appear  at  Gloucester  Assizes. 
On  the  22d  of  July,  1654,  Coppin  made  his  appearance 
at  Gloucester  Assizes,  expecting  a  trial.  His  enemies, 
however,  were  daunted.  They  were  evidently  a  furious, 
imprudent  and  bigoted  class  of  men.  They  seem  to  have 
felt  that  they  had  not  a  strong  cause.  The  Justices  who 
had  holden  him  to  bail,  and  many  of  the  clergymen  of  the 
County  were  there,  but  they  knew  not  what  to  do.  They 
dare  not  themselves  make  oath  to  the  charges  they  had 
brought  against  him,  and  without  that  proof  the  court 
could  not  proceed.  "  But  my  accusers,"  said  he  "  not  yet 
knowing  with  what  more  to  charge  me,  desired  to  know 
of  the  court  if  they  might  not  indict  me  for  disturbing 
their  ministers  in  the  church.  The  court  answered  they 
could  not  do  so,  the  minister  having  done  before  I  began, 
and  therefore  it  could  not  be  proved  any  disturbance.  But 
(said  the  court)  if  you  can  select  anything  from  the  books 
which  you  say  are  his,  and  prove  it  to  bo  blasphemy,  you 
may  indict  him."     Whereupon  they  desired  longer  time, 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  119 

until  Monday;  which  the  court  granted.  But  when  Mon- 
day came,  although  they  had  unquestionably  spent  the 
Sabbath  in  seeking  out  matters  of  complaint  against  him, 
they  had  nothing  to  offer  which  the  court  would  allow  to 
be  a  ground  of  action  ;  nor  could  the  jury  find  any  bill, 
since  the  accusers  refused  to  make  oath  to  their  allegations. 
At  this  juncture  he  rose,  and  desired  permission  of  the 
Court  to  speak.  He  gave  an  account  of  all  the  transactions 
against  him,  and  alleged  his  opposers  to  be  guilty  of  the 
disturbances  they  had  charged  upon  him,  which  he  had 
witnesses  present  to  prove,  if  the  court  desired  to  hear 
them.  But  the  judge  answered  that  he  was  already  satis- 
fied that  the  prisoner  and  not  his  accusers  was  the  injured 
party,  and  therefore  desired  no  further  witness.^ 


DISCUSSION   IN   THE    CATHEDRAL    AT    ROCHESTER,    KENT. 

XII,  Coppin  still  persevered  in  defending  what  he  be- 
lieved to  be  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  We  hear  of  him  in 
the  month  of  December,  1655,  as  preacher  at  the  Cathedral 
Church,  in  the  city  of  Rochester,  county  of  Kent,  in  earnest 
dispute  with  the  opposers  of  Universalism  of  that  day. 
His  first  debate  was  on  Monday  the  third  of  that  month, 
with  Rev.  Walter  Rosewell,  and  there  were  present  the 
Mayor  of  the  city,  and  Captain  Smith,  of  the  army,  as 
judges  and  to  keep  order.  Coppin  commenced  with  prayer, 
his  opponent  refusing  to  join,  who,  after  Coppin's  prayer 
was  ended,  offered  up  one  himself  The  first  part  of  the 
debate  was  as  to  the  manner  in  which  Christ  bore  the  sins 
of  the  people.  But  in  the  second  part  they  came  to  the 
subject  of  Universalism  as  follows  : 

Eosewell.  He  that  doth  perswade  people  to  believe  that  all  men 
shall  be  saved,  he  is  a  perverter  of  Scripture,  a  Blasphemer  of  Christ, 
and  a  venter  of  damnable  errors ;  but  you  do  so :  ergo. 

»  See  "  Truth's  Testimony."  pp.  79-88. 


120  MODERN    HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  Book  III. 

Coppin.  I  denie  your  major  Proposition,  as  to  Blasphemy,  there- 
fore prove  it. 

Roseicell.  By  the  way,  take  notice,  he  doth  go  about  to  maintain 
that  all  men  shall  be  saved. 

Copjpin.  I  do  not  yet  tell  you  what  I  maintain ;  but  I  put  you  to 
prove  that  part  of  your  major  Proposition. 

Rosewell.  He  that  perswades  people  to  believe  that  which  the 
Scripture  doth  flatlie  contradict ;  he  is  a  perverter  of  Scripture,  and  a 
Blasphemer  of  Christ ;  but  this,  that  all  men  shall  be  saved,  is  flatlie 
contradicted  by  Scripture  ;  Mark  xvi.  He  that  believes  shall  be  saved, 
but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 

Coppin.  I  shall  ansAver  your  Proposition  by  another ;  whatsoever 
is  the  Avill  of  God,  is  not  Blasphemy  to  affirm ;  but  the  AviU  of  God  is 
the  Salvation  of  all  men,  therefore  to  say  that  all  men  shall  be  saved, 
is  not  Blasphemy ;  and  I  prove  it  in  the  first  of  Tim.  ii.  4.  I  wiU, 
saith  God,  that  all  men  shall  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  truth.  And  it  wiU  be  necessarie  for  you  to  declare  what  this  Sal- 
vation and  Damnation,  is,  which  you  speak  of  also,  when  it  is,  and 
where  it  is  ;  for  I  acknowledge  that  he  that  beheves  shall  be  saved, 
and  he  that  believes  not,  is  condemned  aheadie. 

Boseinell.  This  damnation  is  that  of  the  soul ;  when  it  is  separated 
from  the  bodie :  Secondly,  when  Christ  shall  come  generaUie  at  the 
last  day,  when  the  whole  world  of  Reprobates  shall  be  cast  into  that 
lake  of  fire,  which  doth  burn  with  brimstone,  out  of  which  there  is  no 
Redemption. 

Coppin.     Pray,  prove  that  from  thence  there  is  no  Redemption. 

Bosewell.  Mat.  xxv.  The  blessed  shall  go  into  everlasting  Ufe, 
and  the  wicked  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his 
Angels. 

Gop>p>in.  I  do  also  say,  that  the  righteous  shall  have  everlasting 
life,  and  the  wicked  shall  have  everlasting  torment ;  but  that  doth  not 
prove  that  there  is  no  Salvation  or  Redemption  out  of  hell,  for  the 
word  everlasting,  doth  signifie  for  the  time  during,  such  a  dispensa- 
tion or  administration  of  God  to  man ;  therefore,  if  you  have  any 
Sci'ipture  to  prove  that  there  is  no  Redemption  out  of  hell,  as  you  have 
often  made  the  people  believe  there  is  not,  produce  it  now ;  or  else 
friends  never  believe  him,  nor  any  of  your  Teachers  more  when  they 
tell  you  so,  except  they  can  prove  it  by  Scripture :  And  trulie  Sir, 
I  had  thought  you  had  been  a  man  better  learned  in  Scripture  than 
you  are ;  and  seeing  you  cannot  bring  any  proof  for  what  you  have 
said ;  I  shall  go  on,  and  prove  by  Scripture,  that  from  that  hell  (the 
Scripture  makes  mention  of)  there  is  Redemption. 

Rosewell.  You  do  bring  Scripture  but  to  little  purpose ;  only  to 
glose  your  errors. 

Copjnn.  David  saith.  Thou  liast  not  left  my  soul  in  hell ;  neither 
wilt  thou  suffer  thy  Holy  One  to  see  corruption ;  which  shews,  that 
there  is  a  coming  out  from  thence :  And  in  Amos  ix.  2  ;  Though  they 
dig  doion  into  hell,  thence  shall  my  hand  take  them  ;  though  they  climb 
up  to  heaven,  thence  will  I  bring  them  down :    So  that  the  Lord  will 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  121 

have  men  to  come  in  his  way ;  and  not  their  own ;  that  they  shall 

come  to  heaven,  but  through  hell. 

Captain  Smith.  Mr.  Coppin,  pray  prove  how  the  word  everlasting 
shall  have  an  end,  before  you  go  any  farther. 

Coppin.  I  shall  do  it  from  the  xvii.  of  Genesis,  where  God  saith 
to  Abraham,  /  will  make  with  thee  an  everlasting  Covenant,  and  saith 
God,  this  is  the  Covenant  I  will  make  with  thee  ;  Every  male  shall  he 
circumcised  :  And  this  Covenant  upon  these  conditions  did  last  but 
for  a  time,  for  we  read,  that  God  did  afterwards  make  a  new  Cove- 
nant with  us  ;  that  should  never  be  ended.  So  in  like  manner  the 
Priesthood  of  Aaron  and  his  Sons  was  call'd  an  everlasting  Priesthood  ; 
and  yet  that  had  an  end,  and  was  changed  into  the  Priesthood  of 
Christ,  that  abideth  forever  and  ever ;  and  we  are  said  to  be  changed 
from  one  everlasting  to  another  everlasting ;  which  shews  there  are 
more  everlastings  then  one,  so  that  one  everlasting  is  but  the  time 
during,  of  the  same  dispensation,  under  which  we  are  for  a  time,  un- 
til our  change  comes.  —  See  Truth^s  Triumph,  pp.  7-9. 

Again,  on  Sunday  the  ninth  of  December,  Coppin  was 
involved  in  a  dispute  in  the  Cathedral,  with  Rev.  Daniel 
French,  minister  of  Strand.  ]\fr.  Coppin  came  to  the  place 
to  preach  his  morning  sermon,  and  Mr.  French  having  left 
his  own  congregation,  propounded  before  sermon  a  question 
which  produced  the  debate.  In  the  course  thereof  Mr. 
French  said : 

Whereas  Mr.  Coppin  was  pleased  the  last  Dispute,  that  out  of  hell 
there  was  redemption,  and  he  brought  the  words  of  the  Prophet  Da- 
vid, when  he  saith.  Thou  wilt  not  leave  my  soule  in  hell,  nor  suffer 
thy  Holy  One  to  see  corruption  ;  This  is  not  meant  heU,  but  the  grave, 
for  heU  hath  severall  acceptations ;  sometimes  it  is  taken  for  the 
grave ;  as  in  this  place,  and  not  of  hell ;  as  you  would  have  it ;  an- 
other Scripture  you  brought  in  Amos  the  ix.  2,  in  which  I  am  of  my 
Brother  Rosewell's  opinion,  and  not  yours  ;  for  that  doth  not  prove  re- 
demption out  of  heU,  but  a  coming  to  judgment  soule  and  body  at  the 
last  day,  to  receive  the  sentence  of  eternall  damnation  in  heU,  where 
the  Avorm  never  dies,  from  Avhence  there  is  no  redemption. 

Coppin.  Prove  that  out  of  hell  there  is  no  redemption,  your  Bro- 
ther Rosewell  could  not. 

French.  I  prove  it,  Matthew  xxv.  These  shall  goe  into  everlast- 
ing punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  Hfe  eternall. 

Coppin.  That  proves  it  not,  for  they  may  goe  into  that  which  is 
everlasting  punishment,  and  yet  come  forth. 

French.  I  deny  it ;  though  you  say  the  word  everlasting  hath  an 
end,  and  that  Scripture  which  you  brought  in  Gen.  xvii.  concerning 
the  first  Covenant,  that  it  was  everlasting,  and  had  an  end,  when  the 
second  came,  I  deny,  for  it  was  all  but  one  Covenant,  and  everlasting 

11 


122  MODEEN  HISTORY   OF  UNTVERSALISM.         FBooK  IIL 

is  for  ever ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  see  so  many  people  here  deluded  with 
such  errors. 

Coppin.  Sir,  you  say  but  what  your  Brother  Rosewell  hath  said 
akeadie,  which  I  then  answer'd,  and  you  understand  not ;  for  the 
first  Everlasting  Covenant,  as  to  the  conditions  thereof,  which  was 
the  works  of  the  Law,  had  an  end,  as  to  us ;  when  God  made  with 
us  a  New  Covenant ;  upon  better  conditions,  without  end,  though  to 
Him  the  first  and  the  last  is  all  one ;  and  where  you  have  the  word 
everlasting,  or  for  ever,  go  single,  there  it  may  sometimes  be  said  to 
last  but  for  time ;  age ;  or  dispensation ;  but  where  it  is  from  ever- 
lasting to  everlasting,  and  for  ever  and  ever,  there  it  is  world  without 
end. 

French.  I  say  there  is  no  end  of  the  punishment  in  heU  for  the 
wicked,  where  the.  worm  never  dies,  nor  the  fire  goes  out ;  but  the 
wicked  persons  of  men  shaU  be  tormented  eternally  in  the  flames, 
suS'ering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fii"e. 

Coppin.  I  denie  that  men  shaU  be  eternallie  in  it,  though  the  fire 
itself  be  as  eternal  as  God ;  for  God  himself  is  this  consuming  fire, 
when  it  meets  with  that  which  is  to  be  burnt ;  and  this  fire  is  to  try 
everie  mans  work,  of  what  sort  it  is ;  and  he  being  refined,  as  having 
all  his  sins  burnt  up  within  him,  by  the  spirit  of  burning,  he  shall 
come  out  of  the  fire  of  Gods  anger,  as  one  purged  and  made  white, 
yet  the  fire  remains  the  same  still  in  itself,  as  in  God,  and  man  while 
in  it,  is  said  to  suffer  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire,  as  of  God,  so  long 
as  there  is  anything  of  dross,  wood,  hay,  or  stubble  in  man ;  for  the 
fire  to  take  hold  of,  till  all  be  consumed ;  as  the  Sea,  it  is  alwaies  full 
of  water,  and  never  emptie,  and  man  may  go  into  the  water  to  Avash 
himself,  and  after  come  forth,  yet  the  sea  remains  still  the  same,  as 
before,  as  that  which  man  was  in,  but  noAv  is  forth,  so  is  this  eternal 
fire,  which  everie  man  is  to  pass  through  before  he  is  refined,  and  it 
were  well  with  you  if  this  fire  had  laid  hold  on  you ;  for  then  you 
would  be  the  purer,  and  the  sooner  come  forth. 

French.  I  do  not  believe  that  he  that  is  once  in  it ;  shall  ever  come 
forth  ;  for  out  of  hell  there  is  no  redemption,  and  'tis  horrible  blas- 
phemie  to  say  it. 

Coppin.  You  have  no  Scripture  to  prove  it,  and  I  see  you  under- 
stand it  not ;  but  I  prove  that  David  while  he  lived  was  shut  up  in  it 
for  sometime,  and  could  not  come  forth  ;  the  wrath  of  God  lay  so  hard 
upon  him  ;  as  you  may  read  in  Psalm  Ixxxviii.,  beginning  at  the  6th 
verse ;  Thou  hast  laid  me  in  the  lowest  pit ;  in  darknesse,  in  the  deep, 
thy  wrath  lieth  hard  upon  me ;  and  thou  hast  afflicted  me  with  aU 
thy  waves,  thou  hast  put  away  mine  acquaintance  far  from  me,  thou 
hast  made  me  an  abomination  unto  them.  I  am  shut  up,  and  I  can- 
not come  forth.     This  was  David's  hell  here  on  earth. 

French.  But  hell  in  some  places  is  taken  for  the  grave,  and  some 
for  hell,  and  David  speaks  of  the  grave. 

Coppin.     What  do  you  mean  by  grave  ? 

French.    Why,  the  grave  of  earth  that  men's  bodies  are  buried  in 

Coppin.     But  David  was  in  tliis  grave  when  he  said  it,  and  yet 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  123 

in  his  bodie  on  the  earth,  and  not  in  the  grave  as  you  call  so, 
therefore  pray  let  me  ask  you  one  question ;  If  hell  in  some  places  be 
taken  for  the  grave,  as  you  say  it  is,  (though  hell  and  grave  are  but 
differing  terms  in  Scripture)  pray  what  is  it  taken  for  in  Hos.  xiii.  14, 
where  God  saith,  I  will  ransome  them  from  the  power  of  the  grave,  I 
Avill  redeem  them  from  death :  O  death  I  wiU  be  thy  plagues,  O  grave 
I  win  be  thy  destruction,  repentance  shall  be  had  from  mine  eyes :  — 
Pray  teU  me  what  is  meant  here  ? 

French.     I  am  not  minded  to  tell  you. 

Coppin.  Then  'tis  because  you  cannot ;  therefore  I  will  tell  you  ; 
by  the  grave  is  here  meant  heU ;  which  God  will  destroy  in  redeem- 
ing us  from  it.  For,  saith  he,  I  will  ransome  them  from  the  grave,  I 
will  redeem  them  from  death ;  O  death  I  will  be  thy  plagues,  O  grave 
I  will  be  thy  destruction :  God  will  destroy  that  death  and  hell  which 
destroyed  us ;  which  we  through  fear  thereof  were  all  our  Hfe  time 
subject  to  bondage,  for  they  came  together,  and  shall  end  together  ; 
as  two  companions.  Rev.  x.  14,  And  death  and  heU  were  cast  into 
the  lake  of  foe ;  this  is  the  second  death,  and  the  last  enemie  to  be 
destroyed ;  but  what  this  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone  is,  the  Prophet 
Isaiah  teUs  you :  Isa.  xxx.  83,  Tophet  is  ordained  of  old,  yea,  for  the 
King  it  is  prepared ;  he  hath  made  it  deep  and  large  ;  the  pile  there- 
of is  fire  and  much  wood ;  and  the  breath  of  the  Lord  like  a  stream 
of  brimstone  doth  kindle  it.  —  See  TrutWs  Triumph,  pp.  17-19. 

Rev.  Walter  Rosewell,  not  content  with  his  former  dis- 
putation, attempted  once  more,  viz.,  on  the  eleventh  of 
December,  to  refute  Mr.  Coppin.  We  pass  over  what  was 
said  on  this  occasion  ;  and  advert  to  the  dispute  which 
took  place  on  the  thirteenth,  begun  by  Rev.  William  San- 
broke  and  continued  by  Rev.  Walter  Rosewell,  on  the  one 
part,  against  Mr.  Coppin  on  the  other,  in  the  Cathedral  at 
Rochester.     This  debate  was  very  spirited  : 

SanbroJce.  Mat.  xxiii.  14 :  Woe  to  you  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
Hypocrites ;  how  will  you  escape  the  damnation  of  hell ;  and  there- 
fore you  shall  receive  the  greater  damnation. 

Coppin.  Christ  was  then  a  fulfilhng  the  Law,  which  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  did  exercise  upon  the  people ;  as  a  burthen  too  heavie 
for  them  to  bear ;  for  which  several  woes  of  damnation  were  pro- 
nounced against  them,  and  to  be  fulfilled  upon  them  in  that  genera- 
tion ;  and  Christ  speaks  not  of  eternal  damnation,  but  of  degrees  of 
damnation ;  as  of  greater  and  lesser ;  that  should  come  upon  them 
for  their  hypocrisie  among  the  people,  and  their  not  beheving  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  which  Christ  told 
them  was  revealed  to  them ;  and  which  would  suddainhe  come  un- 
to them ;  yea  them  in  that  generation  to  whom  damnation  was  thea 


124  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  111. 

threatened ;  and  they,  hearing  of  this,  demanded  of  Christ  the  time 
when  the  Kingdome  of  God  should  come;  for  which  they  then  wait- 
ed and  hoped  for ;  and  Christ  answer'd  and  said.  The  kingdom  of 
God  comes  not  with  observation,  neither  shall  they  say  lo  here,  or 
lo  there,  for  behold  the  Kingdome  of  God  is  witliin  you ;  yea,  within 
you  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  though  you  shut  it  up  against  yourselves, 
and  others,  which  many  people  also  do  now,  for  which  their  judgment 
of  long  time  Ungereth  not ;  and  their  damnation  slumbereth  not,  but 
is  so  much  the  sooner,  and  the  greater  unto  them.  And,  therefore, 
that  forenamed  place  you  quoted,  to  prove  the  Doctrine  of  Damna- 
tion, cannot  be  meant  of  eternal  Damnation,  since  he  tells  them,  The 
Kingdome  of  God  is  within  them.:  And  this,  saith  he,  is  life  eternal, 
to  know  God,  the  true  God ;  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  he  hath  sent ; 
therefore  how  does  this  prove  your  Proposition ;  you  say,  they  were 
literallie  damned ;  and  yet  Christ  tells  them,  the  Kingdome  of  God 
was  within  them. 

Sanhroke.     Were  they  Believers,  or  Unbelievers  ? 

Coppin.  They  were  then  UnbeUevers,  not  knowing  the  Kingdome 
of  God  to  be  within  them ;  and  therefore  did  oppose  it,  but  your 
Schools  will  never  teach  you  this  lesson  of  knowing  Christ  witlun  you, 
which  will  confound  all  the  wisdome  and  knowledge  you  there  learn ; 
for  in  the  School  of  men  you  learn  the  things  of  men ;  but  in  the 
Schools  of  Christ  the  things  of  Christ ;  and  you  shall  never  learn  this 
mysterie  of  Chi'ist  in  you  till  you  become  Christ's  Scholar. 

Sanhroke.     How  long  doth  this  Damnation  last  on  them  ? 

Coppin.     So  long  as  they  do  continue  unbelievers. 

Sanhroke.     You  do  not  understand  the  Text. 

Coppin.  You  will  never  say  that  I,  or  any  man  else,  do  understand 
it,  but  your  selves,  unlesse  they  would  miderstand  it  in  your  sense  ; 
for  you  would  have  people  learn  no  farther  than  you  teach  them ;  but 
God  will  destroy  all  the  teachings  of  men. 

The  learned  Mr.  Sanbroke's  strength  and  lungs  having 
failed  him,  Mr.  Rosewell  came  forward  once  more  : 

Rosewell.  I  am  sorry  I  must  take  my  learned  Brother's  place,  for 
I  did  not  come  here  to  day  to  speak,  but  to  be  a  hearer,  nor  shall  I 
desire  to  enter  into  discourse  any  more  with  this  man,  except  the 
Magistrates  shall  call  me  to  it ;  it  is  to  no  purpose ;  he  doth  but  in- 
sinuate into  the  people,  to  get  a  party  for  himself;  therefore  as  a 
Minister  of  Jesus  Chi-ist,  I  desire  to  give  the  people  satisfaction  to 
all  that  love  the  truth :  I  could  say  much  more  for  my  learned  Brother, 
and  I  do  pity  him  that  his  strength  failed  him ;  if  he  had  his  lungs 
and  his  ears  as  this  man  have,  he  would  be  able  to  deal  with  him  : 
but  I  thank  God  I  have  another  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  people. 

Coppin.  Hear  I  beseech  you ;  for  I  am  now  declaring  the  gather- 
ing together  of  all  men  in  Christ  to  be  by  him  brought  home  to  the 
Father,  and  therefore  mark  what  the  Scripture  saith;  I  will,  saith 
Christ,  seek  that  which  was  lost ;   and  bring  again  that  which  was 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  125 

driven  away,  and  •will  bind  up  that  -which  was  broken,  and  wiU 
strengthen  that  which  was  sick ;  and  so  bring  them  health  and  cure, 
and  I  will  cure  them  ;  and  will  cause  their  captivity  to  return,  and 
will  build  them  up  as  at  the  first,  and  so  cleanse  them  from  all  in- 
iquitie. 

Now  that  all  men  sined,  fell,  and  were  lost  in  Adam,  none  will 
denie,  because  the  Scripture  saith  it ;  but  that  all  men  that  sined,  and 
were  lost  in  Adam,  shall  again  be  redeemed  and  made  righteous  by 
Christ ,  that  you  call  blasphemie  ;  though  proved  by  the  same  Scrip- 
tures and  let  the  people  judge  who  perverts  Scripture  of  us  two;  Christ 
tells  you,  he  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost ;  then  as 
in  Adam  aU  die  ;  even  so  in  Christ  shall  aU  be  made  alive  ;  yea;  the 
same  all  that  were  lost  in  the  one,  are  found  in  the  other ;  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  did  declare  himself  to  all  men  for  this  pui'pose,  and  did 
pray  for  them  which  were  enemies  to  him,  and  had  imbrued  their 
hands  in  his  blood,  Father  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they 
do ;  and  my  little  children,  saith  John ;  these  things  I  write  unto 
you,  that  you  sin  not ;  and  if  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  Advocate  with 
the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,  who  is  a  Propitiation  for  our 
sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world ;  and 
this,  saith  Paul,  is  good  and  acceptable  to  God  the  Father,  who  will 
have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth, 
But  wiU  God  have  all  men  saved,  and  wiU  he  save  all  that  was 
lost  ?  Yes,  but  man  will  not  have  it  so,  for  he  would  have  some  of 
them  saved,  though  the  Lord  saith,  he  will  have  all ;  and  now  for 
shame  say  no  more,  that  Coppin  onlie  wiU  have  all  men  saved,  but 
say  also  that  the  Lord  will  have  all  men  saved,  since  the  Sci-ipture  is 
so  clear  for  it ;  and  then  Lord  who  hath  resisted  thy  will.  Lord  let 
thy  will  be  done,  for  of  thee,  and  through  ti^ee,  and  to  thee,  are  all 
things. 

Rosewell.  He  saith  all  men  shall  be  saved ;  but  doth  not  know 
when. 

Coppin.  I  say  in  due  time  it  shall  be  manifest  to  all,  for  there  is 
but  the  want  of  faith  in  men  to  believe  it,  wliich  is  the  substance  of 
things  hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen,  by  which  all 
men  are  assured,  and  di-aw  nigh  unto  God,  which  in  due  time  shall 
be  manifest  to  all  men. 

Rosewell.  I  desire  to  have  no  more  to  do  with  this  man ;  you  see  I 
ho])e  what  his  aime  and  end  is  in  all  his  discourse :  You  say  we  would 
hide  knowledge  from  the  people,  but  I  wish  all  men  did  know  as 
much  of  good  as  I  doe,  provided  I  did  know  no  less  than  I  doe  ;  and 
I  have  taken  a  great  deal  of  pains  in  my  private  Studies,  and  publique 
endeavors,  for  tiwt  knowledge  I  have  ;  and  if  I  know  any  easier  way, 
I  would  spare  my  paines  :  You  labor  to  bring  all  men  off  from  our 
principles  of  Religion  ;  therefore  know  there  is  many  hundreds  of 
able  Ministers,  and  thousands  of  good  Christians,  which  are  fur- 
nished with  arguments  against  you  ;  and  all  the  Jesuites  in  the  world; 
for  my  part  I  am  not  worthy  to  carry  their  books  after  many  of  them, 
and  I  say  you  are  a  shame  to  the  world ;  and  the  Turks  and  Papists 

11* 


126  MODERN   HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  Til. 

may  laugh  at  us  to  see  our  division  in  our  Church ;  and  I  would  not 
have  this  Auditorie  juggled  out  of  their  Faith ;  and  if  any  man  hath 
given  any  encouragement  to  such  a  Blasphemer  as  this  is,  let  him  be 
humbled  for  it,  and  do  so  no  more  ;  and  I  shall  Preach  against  it  to 
my  utmost  endeavour ;  for  he  doth  overthroAv  all  Ordinances  of  Bap- 
tisme,  and  Sacraments,  which  our  Ancient  Fathers  have  used,  which 
he  saith  are  not  necessarie  to  salvation  since  Christ ;  and  so  is  an 
enemy  to  God,  Psalme  xxi.  8.  I  will  end  with  this  ;  Thine  hand 
shall  finde  out  thy  enemies  that  hate  thee,  thou  shalt  make  them  as  a 
fiery  Oven  in  the  time  of  thine  anger  ;  the  Lord  shall  swallow  them 
up  in  his  wrath,  and  the  fire  of  hell  shall  devour  them. 

COPPIN    IS    IMPRISONED. 

XIII.  After  these  disputes  the  clergy  seemed  at  a  loss 
what  to  do.  Of  confuting  Coppin  they  despaired,  though 
four,  and  these  probably  of  the  greatest  abilities,  had  made 
the  trial  publicly.  They  held  private  consultations  how 
they  might  prevent  his  labors  ;  and  pursued  their  malicious 
intentions  until  he  was  committed  to  Maidstone  prison  in 
1656.  We  will  give  the  account  of  these  proceedings  in 
his  own  words  : 

The  disputes  being  ended,  and  the  Ministers  not  relieved,  but  hav- 
ing sufl'ered  in  their  principles,  and  losing  many  of  their  Hearers, 
they  to  regaine  them  againe,  have  with  themselves,  and  some  men 
called  Justices  of  the  Peace,  Members  of  their  Churches,  had  several 
private  consultations  together,  how  they  might  doe  to  dismisse  me 
from  thence  of  preaching  any  more  to  the  people,  for  which,  through 
their  false  information,  they  obtained  a  "Warrant  against  me  from  the 
Committee  of  Kent ;  but  I  was  then  in  London,  and  having  notice 
of  it,  did  nevertheless  appear  to  the  Warrant,  being  willing  to  an- 
swer to  anything  that  should  l^e  laid  to  my  charge ;  being  also  clears 
and  innocent  in  my  owne  spirit,  of  anything  that  I  had  said  or  done 
contrarie  to  any  Law  of  God  or  man,  and  I  being  in  my  lodging  at 
Rochester,  on  the  Eve  of  the  Sabbath  at  night,  intending  to  preach 
on  the  morrow  ;  came  an  Officer  of  the  Souldierie  unto  me  from 
Captaine  Smith,  a  Ca])tain  of  the  Companie  there  quartering,  that  I 
should  come  before  him,  into  whose  hands  the  Warrant  was  com- 
mitted, and  whose  Order  was  by  the  Warrant,  that  I  must  not  preach 
on  the  morrow,  but  to  continue  his  Prisoner  till  Monday,  onlie  I  had 
my  liberty  in  the  meane  time  to  go  to  my  lodging ;  but  the  Sabbath 
being  come  on  the  morrow,  and  the  people  assembled  together  at 
the  Cathedral,  according  to  their  former  custom,  I  came  amongst 
them,  but  a  Guard  of  Souldiers  being  set  in  the  Cathedi-al,  I  preached 
to  the  people  in  the  Coljedge-yard  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  Fields 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNI  VERS  ALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  127 

in  the  Afternoone,  untill  we  were  disturbed  by  the  Souldiers,  who 
did  but  their  duty  which  they  were  commanded  by  the  authority  of 
the  Justices,  Major  General  Kelsie,  and  others  for  that  County. 

On  the  morrow,  being  Munday,  and  twenty  fourth  of  December, 
the  said  Major  General  Kelsie,  John  Parker,  Charles  Bowles  and 
Richard  Watson,  as  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  that  Countie :  also  Cap- 
tain Harrison,  and  severaU  Ministers,  (as  Informers)  met  together  in 
Crowne-Inne  of  the  City  of  Rochester,  where  they  examined  Wit- 
nesses, and  received  what  informations  they  thought  fit  against  me, 
in  my  absence ;  and  having  before  determined  amongst  themselves 
what  to  doe  with  me,  they  sent  for  me  to  come  before  them ;  where 
Major  General  Kelsie,  told  me,  that  he  had  received  information 
against  me  upon  oath,  that  I  was  an  eneniie  to  the  present  Power, 
and  of  several  Blasphemies  that  I  had  delivered  in  the  Cathedral,  to 
the  great  dishonor  of  God ;  and  the  seducing  of  many  people ;  for 
which  cause  they  sent  for  me  :  I  ansAvered,  that  for  what  might  be 
informed  against  me,  I  knew  not,  but  I  doe  knoAV  nothing  that  I  have 
at  any  time  spoke,  to  the  dishonor  of  God ;  or  against  the  present 
Power,  but  hath  ever  beene,  and  still  am  more  for  it,  then  those  that 
doe  accuse  me ;  No,  said  he,  you  did,  contrary  to  our  orders  Preach 
yesterday ;  though  you  were  forbid :  I  answer,  that  I  know  no  Law 
by  wliich  tliey  coidd,  as  yet  forbid  me  to  Preach  any  than  of  God, 
that  I  did  know,  neither  should  I  be  silent  so  long  as  I  had  liberty, 
and  my  mouth  were  open  ;  then  said  he,  by  what  authority  doe  you 
come  to  Preach  here  ?  I  answer,  that  I  Preach  by  the  same  author- 
ity, that  he  himselfe  hath  pretended  to  Preach  by,  which  is,  by  the 
power  of  God,  and  the  authority  of  the  present  Government,  and 
also  in  this  Citie,  by  the  desires  of  the  people,  and  I  preach  not  for 
tythes  and  yearly  maintenance  to  be  settled  on  me,  as  the  Ministers 
of  England,  and  of  Anti-Christ  do,  but  in  love  to  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  his  people,  and  then  the  Articles  against  me  being  read,  which 
were  very  many,  I  desired  to  know'  my  accusers,  and  they  that  had 
sworne  against  me ;  and  I  to  answer  to  the  articles  i  No,  saith  Major 
General  Kelsie,  we  shall  heare  no  answer  to  them  at  present,  and  so 
said  all  the  said  Justices,  for  we  shall  not  judge  of  the  business  now, 
saith  they,  but  what  we  doe  at  this  time  is  oulie  in  order  to  a  triaU ; 
I  answer,  that  if  they  would  not  heare  an  answer  now,  I  did  not 
question  but  whenever  I  did  answer,  that  by  the  wisdom  and  power 
of  God  which  lived  in  me,  I  should  be  able  to  cleare  myself  upon 
them  aU. — See  TruWs  Triumph,  pp.  17-19. 


The  result  of  these  proceedings  was  that  Mr.  Coppin  was 
committed  to  the  prison  at  Maidstone,  in  the  county  of 
Kent  ;  and  whether  he  was  subsequently  released,  or 
whether  he  died  in  jail,  it  is  beyond  our  power  to  know. 
No  sources  of   information   at  our  command   supply   the 


128  MODERN    HISTOEY    OF   UNIVERSALISM.  Book  HI. 

desired  information.     He  was  not  a  man  to  be  put  down 
by  persecution.     With  a  firmness  equal  to  any  emergency, 
with  a  consciousness  of  right  that  sustained  him  at  all 
times,  gifted  with  strong  powers  of  mind  and  body,  he  was 
fitted  to   endure  sufferings  for  the  truth's   sake.     Notwith- 
standing the    severity  of   the    opposition,    he  was   at   all 
times  milder  than   his  enemies  ;  and  though  in  some  cases 
he  was  apparently  hard  upon  them,  this  is  to  be  attributed 
more  to  the  times  than  to  the  man.     That  his  private  life 
was  unexceptionable,  is  evident  from  the  fact,  that  his  ene- 
mies,   with   all   their   malice,   never  breathed  a  suspicion 
against  him,   except  in  regard  to  his   religious  opinions. 
They  doubtless   thought  of  him,   as   was   said  of  Daniel, 
"  We  shall  not  find  any  occasion  against  this  man,  except 
we  find  it  against  him  concerning  the  law  of   his  God." 
He  was  faultless  in  their  sight,   in  all  things  except  his 
faith,  and  his  efforts  to  promote  it.     Notwithstanding  the 
clemency  of  Cromwell's  government  to  the  different  sects, 
the  enemies  of  Mr.  Coppin  were  so  bitter  and  unyielding, 
that  under  some  pretence,  either  of  disturbing  the  peace, 
uttering  wicked  doctrines,  or  some  like    charge,   he  was 
committed  to  prison.     His  mind  could  not  be  chained.     He 
sent  out  from  his  confinement  a  work  entitled,   "  A  blow  at 
the  Serpent,  or  a  Gentle  Answer  from  Maidstone  Prison  to 
appease  wrath,"'    in  which  he  gave  a  full  account  of  the 

*  The  whole  title  was  as  follows:  "  A  blow  at  the  Serpent,  or  a  Gentle 
answer  from  Maidstone  prison  to  appease  wrath,  advancing  itself  against 
truth  and  peace  at  Rochester.  Together  with  the  work  of  four  daie's 
disputes,  in  the  Cathedral  at  Rochester,  in  the  county  ot  Kent,  between 
several  ministers  and  Richard  Coppin,  preacher  there,  to  whom  very 
many  people  frequently  came  to  hear,  and  much  rejoiced  at  the  way  of 
truth  and  peace  he  preached,  at  the  same  whereof  the  ministers  in  those 
parts  began  to  ring  in  their  pulpits  saying.  This  man  blasphemeth,  to 
deter  their  parishoners  from  hearing.  Whereupon  arose  the  disputes,  at 
which  were  some  Magistrates,  some  officers,  and  souldiers,  peaceable  and 
well-minded,  and  very  many  people  from  all  parts  adjacent,  before  whom 
the  truth  was  confirmed  and  maintained.  The  whole  matter  written  by 
the  hearers  on  both  sides.  Published  for  the  confirmation  and  comfort  of 
all  such  as  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it.  By  Richai'd  Coppin,  now  in 
Maidstone  prison  for  the  witness  of  Jesus.  Twenty-five  articles  since 
brought  against  him  by  the  ministers  as  blasphemy,  and  his  answers  to 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  129 

debates  at  Rochester,  and  the  proceedings  against  him. 
In  1659,  he  issued  another  work,  "  Michael  opposing  the 
Dragon,"  in  which  he  defended  Universalism  more  directly 
and  clearly  perhaps  than  in  any  other.  We  give  but  one 
passage  and  with  that  we  close  this  account. 

Again,  you  call  it  an  error,  to  say  all  men  shall  be  saved,  but  be- 
cause it  is  so  fully  answered  in  the  "  Blow  at  the  Serpent ;  "  [one  of 
his  former  works]  I  shall  say  the  less  here,  only  this,  that  God  saith 
he  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth ;  and  if  he  wiU  have  it  so,  who  then  can  resist  his  will  that  it 
should  not  be  ?  and  we  use  to  say,  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be 
done,  on  earth  as  it  is  heaven ;  and  Christ  saith.  He  gave  himself  a 
ransom  for  aU,  and  tasted  death  for  every  man  ;  for  that  all  were 
dead  in  sin  and  trespasses,  that  they  might  henceforth  live  unto  him ; 
and  which  was  to  be  testified  in  due  time  to  them ;  and  God  Avas  in 
Christ  reconciUng  the  whole  world  to  himself,  not  part  of  them,  but 
all,  even  the  whole  world,  not  imputing  unto  them  their  iniquities ; 
and  Christ  makes  intercession  with  the  Father  for  the  whole  world, 
not  for  some,  but  for  all,  and  is  a  mediator  for  all  that  sinneth,  and 
will  seek  and  save  all  that  Adam  lost ;  therefore  no  error  to  say  it ; 
and  whatsoever  any  man  shall  say  against  it  is  to  no  purpose ;  for  the 
purpose  of  God  shaU  stand.'^ 

It  ought  to  be  stated  that  Mr  Coppin  labored  in  the  min- 
istry without  pecuniary  compensation.  He  coveted  no 
man's  silver  or  gold.  Whether  he  was  possessed  of  prop- 
erty, or  was  fed  and  clothed  by  the  voluntary  gifts  of  the 
people,  we   know  not ;  but  he  refused  a  salary  for  preach- 

them,  how  he  was  committed  without  examination,  and  by  whom.  Lon- 
dou,  1G56."  This  was  a  huge  title  and  shows  the  practice  of  the  times  in 
these  matters.  The  work  was  replied  to  by  one  Edward  Garland,  where- 
upon Coppin  came  out  with  another  work,  entitled  "  Michael  opposing 
the  Dragon."  London,  1659.  I  somewhat  suspect  Coppin  had  been  de- 
livered from  prison  befoi-e  writing  this  last  work,  but  am  not  certain. 

^  More  than  one  hundred  years  after  this  was  written,  an  edition  of  Coj]- 
pin's  works  was  republished  in  England,  prefaced  with  a  hearty  recom- 
mendation by  a  Mr.  Cayley.  The  celebrated  James  Relly,  himself  a 
Universalist,  attacked  them  in  a  warm  and  rather  bitter  style,  endeavoring 
to  prove,  in  oi^position  to  Coppin,  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
iody,  and  of  misery  beyond  death.  See  "TheSadducee  detected  and  re- 
futed, in  remarks  on  the  works  of  Richard  Coppin,"  17(54. 

The  works  of  Coppin,  so  far  as  they  are  known,  are  as  follows:  "  Truth's 
Testimony;  "  "  Michael  opposing  the  Dragon;  "  &c.;  "  The  advancement 
of  all  things  in  Christ,  and  of  Christ  in  all  things;  "  "  Mystery  of  Divine 
Teachings;"  "Antichrist  in  Man  ;"  "  Saul  smitten  for  not  smiting 
Amaleck;"  "A  blow  at  the  Serpent;"  "Truth's  Triumph;"  "Christ 
crucified  and  judgment  executed;"  "  The  Saints  eternal  glory;"  "Man's 
righteousness  examined;  "  "A  man  child  born." 


130  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IH. 

ing ;  and  in  cases  where  the  funds  of  the  church  supplied 
a  compensation,  he  always  ordered  it  distributed  among 
the  poor. 

ANONYMOUS    WORKS    IN    DEFENCE    OF    tJNIVEBSALISM. 

XIV.  To  the  account  of  Coppin  must  succeed  the  notice 
of  two  anonymous  works,  in  both  of  which  the  doctrine 
of  Universalism  is  explicitly  asserted,  and  in  one,  at  least, 
defended  with  considerable  learning  and  force  of  reasoning. 
"  God's  light  declared  in  mysteries,"  was  the  title  of  a  work 
in  quarto,  printed  in  1653,  of  which  we  have  been  unable 
to  obtain  any  information,  except  the  following  extract, 
said  to  be  taken  from  page  12.  "  Now  what  is  hell  or 
darkness  ?  'Tis  a  separation  from  enjoyment  that  it  (the 
soul)  was  capable  of;  that  is  Hell,  and  Devil,  and  Liar,  and 
False  Prophet :  they  shall  not  come  forth  till  they  have 
paid  the  utmost  farthing,  then  shall  they  receive  mercy. 
For  know  that  God  is  good,  and  he  will  not  punish  a  finite 
thing  infinitely."^ 

Of  the  other  work  we  can  speak  with  more  confidence  : 
it  is  entitled,  "Of  the  Torments  of  Hell;  the  foundation  and 
pillars  thei'eof  discovered,  searched,  shaken,  and  removed. 
With  infallible  proofs  that  there  is  not  to  be  a  punishment 
after  this  life,  for  any  to  endure,  that  shall  never  end.''  The 
author  maintained  that  Sheol  was  not  a  place  of  punish- 
ment, which  he  corroborated  by  testimonies  from  various 
authors  ;  that  Gehenna,  instead  of  being  a  place  of  future 
punishment,  was  the  valley  of  Hinnom  near  Jerusalem, 
and  here  again  he  strengthened  his  opinion  by  adducing 
the  testimonies  of  several  commentators,  viz.  Mr.  Cai't- 
wright,  Dr.  Fulk,  and  Mr.  Trap  :  he  endeavored  to  give 
the  true  sense  of  the  word  "everlasting  ;  "  of  the  parable 
of  Lazarus  and  the  Rich  Man  ;  of  Tophet ;  of  Isaiah  Ixvi. 
24,   and   Luke  v.   2  ;  of  the   burning   of  the   tares  ;    the 

*See  Preface  to  3d  edition  of  Jeremy  White  on  Divine  Goodness. 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  131 

"  wrath  to  come  ;  "  the  phrase  "  eternal  damnation  ;  "  and 
the  words  "  cursed,"  "reprobate,"  "fire,"  &c.  Ten  distinct 
opinions  of  the  learned  with  respect  to  Hell  were  consid- 
ered, as  were  the  reasons  of  Mr.  Leigh,  of  Magdalen  Hall, 
in  favor  of  its  being  a  place  of  eternal  punishment.  After 
thus  shaking  the  pillars  of  hell,  he  added  several  consid- 
erations, and  other  proofs  more  directly  scriptural,  against 
the  doctrine  of  endless  misery. 

It  will  be  universally  conceded  that  this  is  a  rare  and 
curious  work.  It  abounds  in  a  great  variety  of  arguments, 
some  of  them  strange  and  whimsical,  but  others  very 
cogent  and  convincing.  The  author  was  unquestionably 
a  man  of  originality,  of  talent,  of  fearlessness,  of  reflec- 
tion, of  study,  though  he  sometimes  decided  hastily,  and 
involved  himself  in  inconsistency.  He  has  said  enough 
however  to  accomplish  fully  the  object  proposed,  viz.  to 
search,  discover,  shake  and  remove  the  pillars  of  the  doctrine 
of  endless  hell  torments. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  nearly  two  hundred 
years  since  this  work  was  written.  At  that  time  very  few 
doubted  the  doctrine  of  endless  torments  ;  very  little  was 
understood  of  biblical  criticism  ;  and  the  most  extraordi- 
nary licenses  were  indulged  in  the  interpretation  of  the 
sacred  writings.  The  reader  will,  therefore,  wonder,  not 
that  the  author  was  sometimes  wrong,  but  that  he  was  so 
often  right ;  and  that  he  grasped  the  whole  of  the  subject 
in  his  mind,  arriving  at  tlie  same  conclusions,  in  regard  to 
the  principal  facts,  to  which  critics  of  the  present  age  have 
come,  with  all  their  multiplied  advantages.  It  does  not 
appear,  however,  that  he  was  perfectly  clear  on  all  points. 
There  are  a  few  passages  in  the  work  which  seem  to  favor 
the  notion  of  the  annihilation  of  the  wicked.  They  ought 
not  however  to  be  understood  as  giving  the  author's  opin- 
ion decidedly  on  that  point ;  because  in  other  parts  of  the 
work  he  openly  and  indisputably  teaches  the  doctrine  of 
universal  salvation.  lie  must  be  regarded  as  an  undoubted 
believer  in  the  final  restoration  of  all  mankind. 


132  MODEEN  HISTOEY   OF  UNIYEESALISM.        [Book  EI. 

In  proof  of  the  point  last  stated,  the  following  passage 
will  be  conclusive  :  "  The  doctrine  of  hell-torments  lessen- 
eth  the  goodness  of  God,  and  limits  it  to  a  few,  whereas 
the  Scripture  declai'es  it  extends  to  all,  Rom.  v.,  the  whole 
chapter.  The  creature  itself  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bon- 
dage of  corruption  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God, 
Rom.  viii.  21.  The  whole  creation,  and  every  creature, 
angels  and  men,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  ver.  20,  Mark  xvi.  15, 
in  bondage  to  corruption,  subject  to  vanity,  idolatry,  and 
delusion  of  the  devil,  who  know  not,  nor  partake  of  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God,  shall  be  delivered  from 
this  bondage  into  the  said  liberty  ;  for  God  was  in  Christ, 
reconciling  the  world  to  himself,  2  Cor.  v.  19,  This  is  spoken 
to  persuade  them  to  be  i^econciled  to  God,  ver.  20,  which 
shows  it  to  concern  mankind.  The  Protestants  in  Poland 
understand  by  every  creature,  angels  and  men  :  they  say 
there  will  come  a  time,  when  the  angels  and  the  wickedest 
men  shall  be  freed.  Origen,  one  of  the  Fathers,  held,  that 
all  should  at  last  be  saved,  men  and  devils.  The  general- 
ity of  the  Fathers  held,  that  all  souls  shall  be  purged  by 
the  fire  of  the  last  judgment,  and  so  pass  to  salvation, 
Moulin,  p.  135.  See  Rom.  xi.  22,  23,  2Y.  All  flesh  shall 
see  the  salvation  of  God,  Luke  iii.  6.  See  1  Tim.  ii.  3-6. 
Isa.  xlv.  lY.  nie  glory  of  the  Lord  shall  be  revealed,  and  all 
flesh  shall  see  it,  Isa.  xl.  5.  Tlie  times  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things,  which  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  proph- 
ets since  the  world  began.  Acts  iii.  21.  They  shall  in  time 
be  delivered  from  their  bondage,  for  which  deliverance 
they  groan.  Are  not  all,  angels  and  men,  obedient  or  dis- 
obedient, the  creation  of  God  ?  If  so,  the  worst  shall 
partake  of  the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God  ?  As  the  whole 
creation  came  from  God,  (or  rather  is  in  God,  for  in  him  we 
live)  it  shall  be  taken  up  into  the  same  glory.  A  good 
cannot  extend  too  widely  ;  the  farther  it  extends,  the  bet- 
ter. If  it  be  good  to  show  mercy  to  some,  is  it  not  more 
good  to  have  mercy  on.allf  Rom.  v.  18.  Plato  could  say, 
God  being  a  Supreme   good,  there  was  no  envy  in  him 


A.  D.  1650.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  133 

towards  any  of  his  creatures,  but  rather  a  desire  that  all 
might  be  made  like  him.  This  is  a  great  and  glorious  dis- 
covery of  God.  In  him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being  ;  as  certain  also  of  your  own  poets  have  said  ;  for  we 
are  all  his  offspring,  Acts  xvii,  28.  1  have  wondered  how 
the  heathen  poets  came  to  know  this  truth  ;  surely  God 
did  manifest  it  unto  them.  If  all  men  are  in  God,  all  men 
are  in  Christ ;  for  Christ  saith,  /  and  my  Father  are  one, 
John  X.  30.  Also,  if  all  men  are  in  God,  [in  him  we  live 
and  move,  &c.,)  then  all  men  are  in  Christ ;  for  God  was  in 
Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  himself,  2  Cor.  v.  19.  All 
confess  that  all  who  are  in  Christ  shall  be  saved  :  as  in 
Adam  all  die,  even  so  inChrist  shall  all  be  made  alive,  1  Cor. 
XV.  22.  I  see  God  is  good,  and  doth  good,  and  it  is  suit- 
abl'e  to  the  being  of  God  to  do  good  to  all,  and  no  such 
torment,  of  such  continuance,  is  agreeable  to  the  mind 
and  will  of  God." 

In  the  view  of  this  author,  the  doctrine  of  endless  tor- 
ments exercised  a  fearful  influence  over  mankind.  It  is  no 
preventive  against  sin  ;  for  those  who  have  sinned  with 
the  greatest  greediness  have  believed  that  doctrine  ;  it 
causeth  slavish  fear,  and  he  that  feareth  is  not  made  per- 
fect in  love  ;  it  causeth  evil  and  hard  thoughts  of  God ;  it 
greatly  troubles  the  hearts  of  many  ;  it  discourages  the 
soul  and  hinders  faith  ;  it  unfits  and  disables  the  soul  in 
regard  to  every  good  work ;  it  provokes  to  unbelief  and 
hinders  subjection  to  God :  it  causes  an  exceeding  and  un- 
reasonable trouble  of  mind  and  melancholy  ;  and  "  hath 
caused  many  to  murder  themselves,  taking  away  their  own 
lives  by  poison,  stabbing,  drowning,  hanging,  strangling, 
and  shooting  themselves,  casting  themselves  out  of  win- 
dows, and  from  high  places,  to  break  their  necks,  and  by 
other  kinds  of  death,  that  they  may  not  live  to  increase 
their  sin,  and  increase  their  torments  in  hell.' 

*  Here  we  see  that  the  same  dreadful  effects  attended  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less misery  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago  which  attend  it   now.    It  was 


134  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.       [Book  III. 

This  author  seems  not  to  have  believed  in  any  punish- 
ment whatsoever  in  the  future  state.  "  Sin  is  punished  in 
this  life  to  the  full,  if  you  will  believe  God,"  said  he. 
"  God  did  not  only  begin  to  punish  sin  in  this  life,  but  also 

finishes  it  in  this  life There  is  no  continuance  of 

it  after  this  life."  He  was  a  Trinitarian,  and  a  believer  in 
salvation  by  grace  alone.  But  his  design  did  not  lead  him 
to  speuk  of  his  own  sentiments  in  all  particulars.  The 
work  is  attributed  to  Samuel  Richardson  ;  but  he  should 
not  be  confounded  with  the  author  of  Pamelia,  and  of  Sir 
Charles  Grandison,  who  was  not  born  until  several  years 
after  this  time.  The  true  author  was  Samuel  Eichardson, 
an  eminent  Baptist  in  the  city  of  London.  He  was  ap- 
pointed one  of  the  agents  of  the  seven  Baptist  churches  in 
that  city,  to  subscribe  "  The  Confession  of  faith  of  those 
churches,  which  are  commonly,  though  falsely  called  Ana- 
baptists, issued  in  1643-4.     It  was  signed  by 

William  Kiffin,  Thomas  Gunne, 

Thomas  Patience,  John  Mabbat, 

John  Spilsberry,  John  Webbe, 

George  Tipping,  Thomas  Hillcoss, 

Samuel  Richardson,  Paul  Hobson, 

Thomas  Shephard,  Thomas  Goare, 

Thomas  Mundat,  Jose  Phelps, 
Edward  Heath." 

It  was  to  this  confession  that  Dr.  Featley  replied,  in  a 
work  that  was  famous  in  its  day,  entitled  the  "  Dipper 
Dipt."     Mr.  Richardson  replied  to  Dr.  Featley,' 

then  the  cause  of  anxiety,  despair,  and  suicide,  as  we  suppose  it  always 
•was  before,  where  fully  believed,  and  as  Ave  know  it  has  been  of  late  years. 
Let  posterity  know,  that  within  the  last  thirty  years,  there  have  been  a  large 
number  of  suicides  which  must  be  attributed  to  the  doctrine  of  endless 
torment.  That  doctrine  makes  men  melancholy;  it  drives  tliem  to  despair; 
they  know  not  what  to  do;  and  they  sever  the  brittle  thread.  Fathers  and 
mothers,  in  repeated  instances  in  the  United  States  of  America,  have 
murdered  their  children,  lest  they  should  grow  up,  and  commit  sin,  and 
be  damned  endlessly. 

'  See  "  A  brief  History  of  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  Anabaptism  in  Eng- 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  135 

"  The  Torments  of  Hell,"  &c.,  was  replied  to. 

First,  By  Nicholas  Chewney,  who  wrote  a  work,  entitled 
"  Hell's  Everlasting  Torments  Asserted,"  London,  1660. 
It  is  described  by  Brandon,  (of  whom  we  shall  speak  in 
the  following  paragraph,)  as  a  small  work. 

Second,  By  John  Brandon.  He  was  of  Oriel  College, 
Oxford,  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  rector 
of  Finhamstead,  Berks.  His  work,  which  appeared  in 
quarto  in  16^8,  was  entitled,  TO  nrp  TO  AUINION,  or 
Everlasting  Fire  no  fancy,  being  an  answer  to  a  late  pesti- 
lent pamphlet,  entitled  "  The  Foundation  of  Hell  Torments 
Shaken  and  Removed,"  wherein  the  author  had  labored  to 
prove,  that  there  is  no  everlasting  punishment  for  any  man 
(though  finally  wicked  and  impenitent)  after  this  life.  His 
considerations  considered  and  his  cavils  confuted,  together 
with  a  practical  improvement  of  the  point  and  the  way  to 
escape  the  damnation  of  hell."  He  affirms  that  Samuel 
Richardson  was  one  of  the  Baptists  of  London,  and  one 
of  the  signers  of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  made  by  the 
Baptist  churches  in  that  city,  in  1643.  Brandon's  work  is 
a  small  quarto  of  152  pages.  He  goes  through  Richard- 
son's, taking  up  part  after  part,  and  replying  after  his  own 
manner.  His  style  is  coarse,  his  spirit  magisterial;  and 
one  can  hardly  help  thinking,  as  he  reads,  that  the  author's 


land,  by  John  Lewis,  minister  of  Margate,  in  Kent."  London,  1738. 
See  also  "  A  General  llistory  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  America  and 
other  parts  of  the  world,"  by  David  Benedict,  A.  M.  Boston,  1813,  Vol. 
i.  p.  199.  If  we  may  judge  from  the  number  of  Mr.  Richardson's  pro- 
ductions, he  was  a  writer  of  considerable  note,  and  of  great  independence 
in  the  expression  of  his  uijinions.  See  Pliccnix,  vol.  ii.  Universal  Theo. 
Magazine,  vol.  xii.  p.  177.  Watts'  Bibliothe^a,  under  Richardson.  The 
works  of  this  author  were  as  follows:  Considerations  on  Dr.  Featley's 
Dipper  Dipt.  Londcm,  1045,  4to;  Justification  by  Christ  alone,  a  fountain 
of  Life  and  Comfort.  London,  1647,  4to;  The  necessity  of  Toleration  in 
Religion.  1647,  4to;  An  Answer  to  the  London  Minister's  Letter  to  his 
Excellency  and  to  his  Council  of  War;  as  also  an  answer  to  J.  Geree's 
Book,  &c.  London,  1049,  4to:  The  cause  of  the  Poor  pleaded.  Loudon, 
1653,  4to;  An  Apology  for  the  present  Government  and  Governor.  Lon- 
don, 1654,  4to;  Plain  Dealing  in  answer  to  Mr.  Vavasor,  Powell  and 
others.  London,  1656,  4to;  Of  the  Torments  of  Hell,  &;c.  London,  1G58, 
1660,  12mo. 


136  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.       [Book  HI. 

aim  was  preferment  in  the  church,  rather  than  a  desire  to 
spread  truth  and  charity  in  the  world. i 

BOOK    ENTITLED    "  CONSIDERATIONS    UPON    ETERNITY." 

XV.  There  is  another  work  which  deserves  to  be  noticed 
in  this  place,  not  for  any  sentiments  of  its  own  author  so 
much  as  for  a  concession  he  makes  in  regard  to  the  objec- 
tions urged,  from  time  to  time,  against  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less torment.  The  work  is  entitled  "  Considerations  upon 
Eternity,"  and  was  published  in  1666.  Its  author  says  : 
"  That  God  should  punish  the  Apostate  Angels  and  men 
condemned  at  the  last  day  with  Eternal  punishment,  this 
hath  seemed  so  strange  to  some  and  so  incredible,  that 
Origen  himself  a  man  otherwise  of  an  admirable  wit,  and 
excellent  learning,  very  well  skilled  in  Scripture,  hath  been 
so  bold  as  to  teach,  that' the  Devils  and  the  Damned  after  a 
certain  time,  when  they  shall  be  suflSciently  purged  by  the 
fire  from  their  sinnes,  shall  at  length  be  restored  to  grace. 
....  This  errour  hath  found  many  favourers.  Certain 
Hereticks  called  the  Aniti,  have  disseminated  and  scattered 
it  throughout  Spain,  by  diveres  their  interpretations. 
Some  thought  that  all  the  damned,  others  that  Christians 
only,  etc.,  should  be  delivered  at  length  out  of  Hell." 

CHARACTER  OF  CROMWELL HIS    MEASURES  TOLERANT. 

XVI.  When  Cromwell  was  elevated  to  the  Protectorship, 
popular  zeal  ran  highest  against  the  Catholic  religion,  and 

*  The  Torments  of  Hell,  &c.,  London,  1758,  -written  by  an  Anabaptist 
(as  I  have  been  informed  by  a  bookish  man)  called  Samuel  Richardson, 
■who  had  before  been  author  of  some  brief  Considerations  on  Dr.  Featley's 
bool<,  entitled  "The  Dippers  Dipt,"&c.;  London,  1G45.  The  said  book 
also  was  loiii":  before  answered  by  one  Nicholas  Chewney,  M.  A.,  in  a  book 
entitled  "  Hell,  witli  the  Everlasting  Torments  thereof  asserted.  1.  Quad 
sit,  That  there  is  such  a  place.  '27  Quid  sit,  AVhat  this  place  is.  3.  Udi 
sit.  Where  it  is.  London,  IGGO."  Wood's  Atlienoc,  Art.  Brandon.  In 
*'  Torments  of  Ilell  "  we  read  that  Maulin  (j).  135)  says  the  generality  of 
the  fathers  held  that  all  souls  shall  be  purged  by  the  tire  of  the  last  judg- 
ment and  so  pass  to  salvation. 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  137 

that  of  the  Church  of  England,  then  generally  termed  pre- 
lacy. It  would  be  a  difficult  task  to  give  a  true  picture  of 
the  Protector's  character.  Some  historians  have  agreed 
in  representing  him  to  have  been  a  canting  hypocrite  ;  and 
no  one,  perhaps,  has  done  this  more  heartily  than  Mr. 
Hume.i  But  Cromwell  has  been  misrepresented.  His 
character,  of  late,  is  coming  to  be  more  generally  under- 
stood. Bishop  Burnet  remarks,  that  he  "  was  for  liberty, 
and  the  utmost  latitude  to  all  parties,  so  far  as  consisted 
with  the  peace  and  safety  of  his  person  and  government ; 
and  therefore  he  was  never  jealous  of  any  cause  or  sect, 
on  the  account  of  heresy  or  falsehood,  but  on  his  wiser 
accounts  of  political  peace  and  quiet ;  and  even  the  pre- 
judice he  had  for  the  Episcopal  party,  was  more  for  their 
being  royalists,  than  for  being  of  the  good  old  church."  ^ 
The  historian  of  the  Puritans  gives  him  a  similar  character. 
"  The  Protector  was  a  Protestant,  but  afi'ected  to  go  under 
no  denomination  or  party.  He  had  Chaplains  of  all  per- 
suasions ;  and  although  he  was  by  principle  an  Indepen- 
dent, he  esteemed  all  reformed  Churches  as  part  of  the 
Catholic  Church ;  and  without  aiming  to  establish  any 
tenets  by  force  or  violence,  he  witnessed,  on  all  occasions, 
an  extreme  zeal  for  liberty  of  conscience."^  The  cruel 
laws  of  the  Parliament  with  which  the  reader  has  been 
made  acquainted,  if  they  had  at  first  a  little  force,  were 
soon  abrogated  both  by  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  an 
express  statute.  The  army,  which  at  this  time  was  not  to 
be  slighted  in  any  of  its  requests,  petitioned  "  that  all 
penal  statutes  and  ordinances,  whereby  many  conscientious 
people  were  molested,  and  the  propagation  of  the  gospel 
hindered,    might   be   removed  ;  "  *    but   from    this   liberty 

*  Hume  wrote  with  a  peculiar  partiality  to  the  character  of  Charles  I. 
which  prevents  my  receiving  his  account  of  Cromwell  without  some  sus- 
picion of  exaggeration. 

*  Warner  ii.  586. 

^  Neal's  History  of  Puritans,  chap.  ill. 

*  Warner,  ii.  579. 


138  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III, 

Papists,  and  the  members  of  the  Church  of  England,  were 
excluded.  This  petition  not  long  after  was  in  effect  passed 
into  a  law,  and  thereby  all  the  former  laws  against  eiTO- 
neous  opinions,  were  repealed.  The  same  toleration  was 
provided  for  in  the  Instrument  of  Governtnejit,  which  was 
drawn  up  at  the  time  Cromwell  was  declared  Protector  ;  in 
which  it  was  provided,  "that  the  Christian  religion  con- 
tained in  the  Scriptures  be  held  forth  and  recommended  as 
the  public  profession  of  these  nations  ;  that  as  soon  as  may 
be,  a  provision,  less  subject  to  contention,  and  more  cer- 
tain than  the  present,  be  made  for  the  maintenance  of 
ministers ;  and  that  till  such  provision  be  made,  the 
present  maintenance  continue  :  that  none  be  compelled  to 
conform  to  the  public  religion  by  penalties  or  otherwise, 
but  that  endeavors  be  used  to  win  them  by  sound  doctrine, 
and  the  example  of  a  good  conversation  :  that  such  as 
profess  faith  in  God  by  Jesus  Christ,  though  differing  in 
judgment  from  the  doctrine,  worship,  or  discipline,  publicly 
held  forth,  shall  not  be  restrained  from,  but  shall  be  pro- 
tected in  the  profession  of  their  faith  and  exercise  of  their 
religion,  so  as  they  abuse  not  this  liLerty  to  the  civil 
injury  of  others,  and  to  the  actual  disturbance  of  the  pub- 
lic peace  on  their  parts  ;  provided  this  liberty  be  not 
extended  to  Popery,  nor  Prelacy,  nor  to  such,  as  under  a 
profession  of  Christ,  hold  forth  a  practice  of  licentiousness  ; 
that  all  laws,  statutes  and  ordinances,  contrary  to  the 
aforesaid  liberty  ;  shall  be  esteemed  null  and  void."  *  Thus 
a  legal  toleration  was  granted  to  all  sects  but  Papists  and 
the  Episcopalians,  who,  with  direct  licentiousness  and  im- 
morality, were  the  only  things  excepted  from  the  benefit 
of  this  provision.  Commissioners  were  soon  appointed  to 
examine  candidates  for  the  clerical  office,  and  a  majority 
of  these  being  Independents,  no  one  was  excluded  on 
account  of  belonging  to  those  sects  which  had  been  deemed 

»  Warner,  ii.  583,  584. 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  139 

heretical.  When,  in  165Y,  the  Parliament  offered  to  Crom- 
well that  system  of  government  which  they  entitled  the 
"Humble  Petition  and  JcZuicc,"  and  which  he  signed  and 
established  as  the  Constitution  of  the  nation,  they  made  a 
like  provision  for  the  toleration  of  all  sects  excepting  Papists 
and  Episcopalians,  as  the  following  articles  will  show.  It 
was  ordained  "that  the  Protestant  Christian  Religion, 
contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  be  asserted  and 
held  forth  as  the  public  profession  of  this  nation,  and  no 
other :  that  a  Confession,  to  be  agreed  upon  by  this  Par- 
liament, be  recommended  to  the  people,  and  none  to  be 
permitted  by  words  or  writing  to  revile  it :  that  those  who 
professed  to  believe  in  God,  the  Trinity,  and  the  Scripture, 
though  they  differed  in  other  things  from  the  public  pro- 
fession held  forth,  should  not  be  compelled  by  penalties 
but  protected  from  injuries,  while  they  abuse  not  this 
liberty  to  the  disturbance  of  the  public  peace  ;  provided 
this  liberty  does  not  extend  to  Popery,  Prelacy,  blasphemy 
and  profaneness  ;  that  the  ministers  and  public  preachers, 
who  agree  in  the  aforesaid  matters  of  faith,  shall  not  only 
have  protection  in  the  way  of  their  churches  and  worship, 
but  shall  be  capable  of  any  trust  or  employment,  though 
they  shall  not  receive  the  public  maintenance  appointed 
for  the  ministry  ;  and  that  all  ministers  shall  remain  dis- 
qualified from  any  civil  employment."  ^  By  this  toleration, 
the  inculcation  of  Universaliam  was  permitted  without 
restraint,  while  to  deny  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  was 
prohibited.  Political  motives  probably  had  so  great  an 
influence  in  the  framing  of  these  articles  that  we  are  not 
permitted  to  award  to  their  authors  that  high  praise  to 
which  they  would  otherwise  have  been  entitled.  For  if 
this  indulgence  to  the  various  sects,  sprang  from  a  true 
love  of  religious  liberty,  why  was  so  dishonorable  an 
exception  made  to  Catholics  and  Episcopalians  ?     After  all 

>  Warner,  ii.  588. 


140  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALTSM.        [Book  ITI. 

however,  we  must  praise,  rather  than  blame  the  Protector 
for  his  sentiments  on  religious  liberty.  He  allowed  liberty 
of  conscience  to  a  larger  extent  than  it  had  been  allowed 
before  him  for  a  thousand  years.  And  we  shall  see,  in  the 
course  of  this  chapter,  that  one  of  his  chaplains  was  a  fer- 
vent believer  in  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men, 
and  wrote  a  treatise  in  its  defence. 


CROMWELL     DIES  ;    THE    RESTORATION    AND    ACT    OF    UNIFORMITY. 

XVII.  Cromwell  lived  but  a  few  years,  to  exercise  regal 
power,  in  the  character  of  Protector  ;  and  being  vested 
with  the  privilege  of  appointing  his  successor,  he  nomi. 
nated,  in  his  last  moments,  his  son  Richard  to  that  high 
office.  Richard,  however,  possessed  not  his  father's  tal- 
ents ;  he  was  humane,  honest  and  unassuming  ;  and  on 
the  breaking  out  of  dissentions  after  his  father's  death,  he 
preferred  rather  to  retire  into  private  life,  than  to  bear  the 
storm  of  opposition  and  war  in  maintaining  his  dignity. 
The  nation  remained  for  a  short  time  without  any  fixed 
government  whatever  ;  and  finally,  by  the  assistance  of 
General  Monk,  who  commanded  an  army  in  Scotland  at 
the  Protector's  death,  Charles  IE.  took  the  throne,  and 
restored  the  ancient  order  of  things.  As  all  the  acts  of 
Parliament  without  the  consent  of  the  King,  are  null  in 
themselves,  so  power  alone  was  needed  to  make  Episcopacy 
in  fact,  what  it  was  claimed  to  be  by  statute,  the  national 
form  of  church  government,  and  the  XXXIX  Articles  the 
established  doctrine.  The  Act  of  Uniformity,  passed  in 
1662,  whereby  all  those  who  refused  to  conform  to  the 
Established  Church  and  worship,  were  rejected  from  her 
communion  and  emoluments,  drove  from  their  livings  the 
Clergy  to  the  number  of  two  thousand,  and  exalted  to 
ease  and  affluence  those  who,  under  the  administration  of 
Cromwell,  had  been  coupled  with  Papists,  and  made  the 
subjects  of  a  particular  proscription.     From  that  time  until 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  141 

the    present,  the   Church   of  England  has  maintained   its 
alliance  with  the  state.* 


VANE,    (the    younger,)  A    UNIVERSALIST. 

XVIII.  Sir  Henry  Vane,  (the  younger,)  created  a  strong 
sensation,  both  in  England,  and  in  her  colonies  in  North 
America.  He  was  a  truly  religious  man  ;  and  knew  no  policy 
save  that  of  doing  always  what  he  thought  was  right  in 
the  sight  of  God.  He  was  born  in  1612,  the  son  of  Sir 
Henry  Vane,  a  nobleman  of  distinction,  under  James  L, 
and  his  successor.  The  son  received  the  first  part  of 
his  education  in  England.  Although  he  enjoyed  all  the 
advantages  of  Magdalen  College,  he  lost  his  membership 
at  last,  because,  from  theological  scruples,  he  could  not 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  supremacy.  He  left  Ox- 
ford, went  to  the  Continent,  visited  Holland  and  France, 
and  spent  some  time  in  Geneva.  These  sacrifices,  which 
he  was  obliged  to  make  for  the  sake  of  conscience,  and  the 
sympathy  he  felt  for  the  Puritans,  who  were  also  suflering 
for  their  honest  convictions,  induced  him  to  emigrate  to 
New  England,  where  he  was  received  with  demonstrations 
of  great  respect.  The  year  following  his  arrival,  he  had 
the  honor  to  be  elected  governor  of  Massachusetts.  His 
administration  was  not  peaceful.  Although  he  sympathized 
with  the  Puritans  in  their  sufferings  for  conscience  sake, 
he  did  not  agree  with  them  in  all  their  opinions,  and  least 


*  Hume,  chap.  Ixiii.    The  following  table  will  show  how  the  national 
religion  had  fluctuated  in  England  under  different  reigns: 
Popery  went  down  under  Henry  VIH. 
Church  of  England  established  by  Henry  VIIT. 
Church  of  England  continued  under  Edward  VI. 
Popery  revived  under  Mary. 

Church  of  England  re-established  under  Elizabeth. 
Church  of  England  continued  under  James  I. 
Presbyterianisni  established  by  Parliament,  during  the  Revolution. 
The  Independents  succeeded  under  Cromwell. 
Church  of  England  re-established  at  the  Restoration. 


142  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  III. 

of  all  did  he  approve  of  the  penalties  which  they  inflicted 
upon  others  for  honestly  diflering  from  them.  When  the 
controversy  raised  by  the  enemies  of  Mrs.  Hutchinson 
broke  out,  concerning  some  speculative  point  in  theology, 
the  governor  took  ground  in  her  favor,  for  he  always  sym- 
pathized with  those  who  suffered  for  their  opinions  ;  but 
the  majority  was  against  her,  and  she  was  driven  from  the 
colony.  Governor  Winthrop  was  elected  Sir  Henry's  suc- 
cessor ;  and  did  his  competitor  the  honor  to  say,  that  he 
regarded  him  as  "  a  man  of  wisdom  and  godliness."  Vane 
and  Roger  Williams  were  the  two  earliest  defenders  of 
liberty  of  conscience  on  the  American  continent.  But  the 
former  remained  in  America  for  a  short  time  only.  His 
friends  earnestly  urged  his  return  to  England,  which  was 
accomplished  in  August,  IGSt.  Sir  James  Mackintosh  said, 
in  a  speech,  delivered  before  the  "  Protestant  Society  "  in 
London,  in  1819,  that  Sir  Henry  Vane  was  entitled  to  our 
admiration  for  an  early  development  of  the  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty.  He  added,  "  His  writings  are 
little  known  to  the  majority  of  readers  ;  but  he  is  alluded 
to  by  Hume,  and  his  book  contains  the  principles  of 
religious  liberty  in  three  or  four  pages,  in  a  manner  clear 
and  irrefragable." 

In  England,  he  sought  the  retirement  of  private  life ; 
but  his  friends  felt  they  had  need  of  his  services  and 
talents,  and  in  1640,  he  became  a  member  of  Parliament. 
He  unquestionably  promoted  the  revolution,  for  he  was  a 
republican  ;  but  he  took  no  part  in  the  impeachment  and 
trial  of  Charles  I.  When  this  mournful  event  transpired,  he 
returned  to  private  life,  shocked  and  disgusted.  Tn  this 
respect  his  life  presents  a  parallel  to  that  of  the  excellent 
La  Fayette.  Between  the  lime  of  the  King's  death,  and 
Cromwell's  usurpation,  as  Vane  regarded  the  matter,  he 
served  the  Commonwealth  as  a  member  of  the  Council  of 
State  ;  and  as  Treasurer  and  Commissioner  of  the  navy  ; 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  143 

he  had  the  direction  of  that  arm  of  the  public  defence,  at 
the  time  when  Blake  and  Van  Tromp  contended  for  the 
mastery  of  the  seas,  and  when  the  naval  glory  of  England 
shone  with  unwonted  splendor.  When  Cromwell  entered 
Parliament,  to  drive  it  out  by  force,  Vane  remonstrated ; 
he  sought  the  good  of  the  commonwealth,  and  not  the 
glory  of  any  one  man.  Cromwell  raised  his  voice  to  a 
high  pitch,  and  exclaimed,  "  Sir  Harry  Vane  !  Sir  IJarry 
Vane !  Good  Lord  deliver  me  from  Sir  Harry  Vane.'' 
The  result  of  Cromwell's  energetic  measures  is  known  to 
all  the  world.  He  drove  Parliament  out  of  doors,  locked 
the  house,  and  put  the  key  in  his  pocket.  He  became 
Lord  Protector,  and  Vane  again  retired  to  private  life.  On 
the  death  of  the  Protector,  he  was  brought  forward  once 
more  as  a  member  of  Parliament,  and  by  his  boldness  more 
than  that  of  any  other  man,  the  son  of  the  Protector  was 
made  unwilling  to  receive' the  oiEce  to  which  his  father 
had  nominated  him.  The  following  extract  from  Sir 
Henry's  speech  in  Parliament,  will  show  the  decided 
ground  he  took  against  Richard  Cromwell  : 

"  One  could  bear  a  little  -with  Oliver  Cromwell,  though,  contrary  to 
his  oath  of  fidelity  to  the  Parliament,  contrary  to  his  duty  to  the  public, 
contrary  to  the  respect  he  owed  to  that  venerable  body  from  whom  he 
received  his  authority,  he  usurjied  the  government.  His  merit  was  so 
extraordinary,  that  our  judgment  and  passions  might  be  blinded  by  it. 
He  made  his  way  to  empire  by  the  most  illustrious  actions.  He  held 
under  his  command  an  army  that  had  made  him  a  conqueror,  and  a  peo- 
ple that  had  made  him  their  general. 

But  as  for  Richard  Cromwell,  his  son,  who  is  he?  What  are  his  titles? 
We  have  seen  that  he  has  a  sword  by  his  side,  but  did  he  ever  draw  it  ? 
And,  what  is  of  more  importance  in  this  case,  is  he  fit  to  get  obedience 
from  a  mighty  nation,  who  could  never  make  a  footman  obey  liim?  Yet, 
we  must  recognize  tliis  man  as  our  king,  under  the  stjle  of  Protector  ! — 
a  man  without  birth,  without  courage,  without  conduct.  For  my  part,  I 
declare.  Sir,  it  shall  never  be  said  that  I  made  such  a  man  my  master."' 

'This  speech,  says  Mr.  Upham,  may  be  found  in  a  note  to  the  article. 
Vane,  in  the  "  Biographia  Brittanica." 


144  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III. 

Sir  Henry  desired  to  establish  a  purely  representative 
republic  ;  but  his  plan  was  incompatible  with  the  times. 
The  restoration  of  the  line  of  kings  took  place  ;  Charles  11. 
ascended  the  throne  ;  and  Varie  was  soon  brought  to  the 
scaffold.  He  was  too  great,  too  independent,  and  too 
good  a  man  to  be  suffered  to  live.  The  King  knew  he 
could  not  win  him  over  to  the  royal  interests,  and  he 
desired  to  get  rid  of  him.  His  judges  were  the  mere  tools 
of  the  king.  Yane  was,  of  course,  condemned  ;  and  he 
suffered  death  on  Tower  Hill,  on  the  14th  of  June,  1662. 
The  following  is  a  brief  account  of  his  execution  : 

"  Being  come  to  the  scaffold  he  cheerfully  ascends,  and  being  up,  after 
the  crowd  on  the  scaffold  was  broken  in  two  pieces,  to  make  way  for  him, 
he  showed  himself  to  the  people  on  the  front  of  the  scaffold,  with  that 
noble  and  Christian-like  deportment,  that  he  rather  seemed  a  looker  on, 
than  the  person  concerned  in  the  execution:  Insomuch  that  it  was  difficult 
to  persuade  many  of  the  people,  that  he  was  the  prisoner.  But  when 
they  knew  that  the  gentleman  in  the  black  suit  and  cloak,  with  a  scarlet 
silk  waistcoat  (the  victorious  color),  showing  itself  at  the  breast,  was  the 
prisoner,  they  admired  that  noble  and  great  presence  he  appeared  with. 
'  How  cheerful  he  is!'  said  some;  '  He  does  not  look  like  a  dying  man,' 
said  others;  with  many  like  speeches,  as  astonished  with  that  strange 
appearance  he  shined  forth  in."  *^ 

Silence  being  obtained,  Sir  Henry  commenced  an  address 
to  the  people,  but  he  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he  was 
interrupted  ;  and  the  trumpeters  who  had  been  placed  near 
the  scaffold  for  the  purpose,  were  commanded  to  blow 
aloud  and  drown  his  voice.  This  was  done  several  times, 
as  anything  was  being  said  which  the  officers  did  not 
desire  to  hear.  Finding  they  were  determined  he  should 
not  be  heard,  he  broke  off  by  saying,  "It  is  a  bad  cause, 
which  cannot  bear  the  words  of  a  dying  man."  His  last 
exercise  was  a  prayer. 

"  At  the  conclusion  of  the  prayer,  and  when  his  garments  had  been 
adjusted  to  receive  the  stroke,  he  looked  up,  and  said,  '  I  bless  the  Lord, 

»  Upham'fl  Life  ofVane,  in  Spark's  Biography,  Vol.  iv.  pp.  357-359. 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  145 

who  hath  accounted  me  worthy  to  suffer  for  his  name.  Blessed  be  the 
Lord,  that  I  have  kept  a  conscience  void  of  offence  to  this  day.  I  bless 
the  Lord,  that  I  have  not  deserted  the  righteous  cause,  for  which  I 
Buffer. ' 

As  he  bowed  his  head  to  the  block,  he  uttered  these  words,  '  Father, 
glorify  thy  servant  in  the  sight  of  man,  that  he  may  glorify  thee  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty  to  thee  and  to  his  country. '  In  an  instant  and  at  a 
single  blow,  the  executioner  discharged  his  office."  * 

Sir  Ilenry  Vane  was  an  independent  thinker.  He  was  a 
Universalist.  In  his  retirement,  during  the  protectorate, 
he  undoubtedly  read  and  reflected  much  upon  the  subject 
of  religion.  He  was  much  nearer  the  Independents,  in  his 
views  and  sympathies,  than  to  either  the  Catholics,  the 
friends  of  the  abolished  Church  of  England,  or  the  Presby- 
terians. By  those  who  did  not  understand  him,  he  was 
said  to  be  an  enthusiast ;  this  was  because  he  saw  more 
clearly  and  felt  more  powerfully  than  they  the  truths  of 
the  gospel.  He  was  the  friend  of  universal  toleration. 
His  views  of  the  character  of  God,  and  the  destiny  of  man 
removed  far  from  him  the  fear  of  death.  "  Death,"  said 
he,  "  instead  of  taking  away  anything  from  us,  gives  us 
all,  even  the  perfection  of  our  natures  ;  sets  us  at  liberty 
both  from  our  own  bodily  desires,  and  others'  domination  ; 
makes  the  servant  free  from  his  master.  It  does  not  bring 
us  into  darkness,  but  takes  darkness  out  of  us,  us  out  of 
darkness,  and  puts  us  into  marvellous  light.  Nothing 
perishes,  or  is  dissolved  by  death,  but  the  veil  and  cover- 
ing, which  is  wont  to  be  done  away  from  all  ripe  fruit.  It 
brings  us  out  of  a  dark  dungeon,  through  the  crannies 
whereof  our  sight  of  light  is  but  weak  and  small,  and 
brings  us  into  an  open  liberty,  an  estate  of  light  and  life 
unveiled  and  perpetual."*  Who,  but  a  believer  in  the 
final  happiness  of  all  men,  could  speak  in  this  strain  on 
the  subject  of  death  ?     In  his  dying  advice  to  his  family 


TJpham's  Life  of  Vane,  in  Spark's  Biography,  Vol.  iv.  p.  370. 

See  Statesmen  of  the  Commonwealth  of  England.    New  York,  1846. 

13 


146  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IIL 

he  urg-ed  upon  them  to  study  well  the  spirit  and  faith  of 
Abraham.  He  nowhere  mentions  that  they,  or  any  part 
of  mankind,  are  exposed  to  endless  punishments.  Abra- 
ham, it  is  well  known,  believed  without  doubt,  in  the 
promise  of  God  to  bless  all  nations  and  kindreds  and 
families  of  the  earth  ;  a  fact  that  could  not  have  escaped 
the  attention  of  Sir  Henry,  and  to  which  he  may  have 
referred,  when  he  spoke  so  earnestly  of  the  f^ith  of 
Abraham.  "  His  friends  told  me,"  (said  Bishop  Burnet,) 
he  leaned  to  Origen's  notion  of  an  universal  salvation  of 
all,  both  of  devils  and  the  damned,  and  to  the  doctrine  of 
pre-existence."  ^ 


EEV.    JEREMY    WHITE,  A    UNIVERSALIST. 

XLX.  Among  the  clergy  who  were  excluded  by  the  Act 
of  Uniformity,  was  Jeremy  White,  who  had  been  chaplain 
to  the  Protector,  and  preacher  to  the  Council  of  State. 
He  was  a  fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge.  Having 
received  an  early  impression  from  perusing  the  Scriptures, 
that  God  is  infinitely  good  and  benevolent,  he  found  no 
satisfaction  in  reading  various  systems  of  divinity,  all  of 
which  seemed  to  him  to  contradict  the  divine  goodness  ; 
and  this  difficulty,  it  is  said,  threw  him  into  a  fit  of  sick- 
ness that   came   near   terminating  his   life.     During   this 

^  Burnet's  Life  and  Times,  edition  of  1840,  p.  108.  See  also  Crouch's 
Sermon  on  the  Etei-nity  of  Hell  Torments,  Oxford,  England,  178G,  pp.  20, 
21.  This  last  named  author  says,  "In  the  next  century  (from  1(<00  to 
1700)  when  nothing  "was  too  absurd,  either  in  government  or  religion, 
to  want  pati'onage,  the  doctrine  of  Origen,  among  a  thousand  wild  and 
monstrous  extravagancies,  was  first  introduced  and  received  here.  It 
formed  part  of  the  unintelligible  creed  of  Sir  Henry  Vane,  and  was  taught 
in  the  court  and  family  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  by  one  of  his  chaplains." 

The  chaplain  referred  to  above  was  undoubtedly  Jeremy  White,  of  whom 
we  speak  in  the  following  section:  If  Mr.  Crouch  meant  that  Sir  Henry 
Vane  was  the  first  man  to  introduce  Universalism  into  England,  it  was  a 
mistake.  Universalism  was  condemned  in  England,  as  we  have  shown,  as 
early  as  1552,  in  the  XLII  Articles  (since  reduced  to  XXXIX).  The  42d 
Article  was  entitled,  "  All  men  not  to  be  saved  at  last."  Why  should  this 
condemnation  have  boon  introduced,  if  Universalism  had  not  previously 
sprung  up  in  the  kingdom  ? 


A.  D.  1660.1  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  147 

disease  he  became  convinced  of  the  truth  of  Universalism  ; 
and  the  thoughts  which  he  then  had,  afterwards  formed  the 
ground  work  of  his  treatise  in  defence  of  that  doctrine. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  a  person  of  great  facetiousness  in 
his  conversation  ;  and  his  company,  on  that  account,  was 
much  valued  by  persons  of  high  rank. 

It  is  probable  his  treatise  on  Universal  Salvation  was 
written  before  old  age  came  on  ;  for  we  are  informed  'that 
he  at  first  wrote  voluminously,  but  towards  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  abi-idged  the  work,  and  prepared  it  for  the  press. 
Subsequently  to  the  Restoration  he  preached  occasionally, 
without  undertaking  any  particular  charge.  With  great 
pains  and  care  he  made  a  collection  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  dissenters  b}*'  the  penal  laws  which  were  enacted  in 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.  wherein  he  gave  an  account  of  the 
ruin  of  several  thousand  families  in  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom  ;  but  thinking  it  might  subserve  the  cause  of 
Popery,  he  rejected  the  importunity  of  some  of  King  James' 
agents,  and  also  large  pecuniary  rewards  which  were 
offered  him  to  publish  it.  He  died  in  the  year  llOt,  aged 
■78.1 

*  This  account  of  White  has  been  taken  from  the  first  edition  of  his 
Treatise  on  Divine  Goodness,  and  from  Dr.  Calamy's  account  of  ejected 
ministers,  printed  1713,  p.  5,  and  in  the  first  volume  of  the  Continuation 
of  said  work.  Both  to  the  first  and  third  editions  of  White's  work  (the 
second  edition  I  have  never  seen)  are  prefixed  valuable  prefaces,  contain- 
ing historical  traces  of  the  doctrine  of  Universalism.  These  prefaces  were 
the  most  valuable  historical  papers  concerninff  Universalism  that  had  then 
ever  appeared,  and  together  make  quite  a  treatise.  Although  we  know 
not  by  whom  they  were  written,  we  are  sure  it  was  done  by  some  person 
quite  well  qualified  for  the  work.  The  first  edition  of  White's  Treatise 
was  published  without  the  author's  name.  A.  D.  1712.  To  the  second  edi- 
tion no  date  was  prefixed.  The  title  page  to  the  third  edition  was  as  fol- 
lows :  *'  The  Restoration  of  am,  Things  :  or  a  vindication  of  the  good- 
ness and  grace  of  God,  to  be  manifested  at  last  in  the  recovery  of  his 
whole  creation  out  of  the  fall.  By  Jeremy  White,  Chaplain  to  Oliver 
Cromwell.  The  third  edition,  with  an  additional  prefixce,  containing  quo- 
tations from  divers  other  authors,  not  mentioned  in  the  first  preface,  who 
have  wrote  in  confirmation  of  the  above  doctrine."  London,  1779.  Oc- 
tavo, 248  paces.  An  edition  was  published  in  Philadelphia,  in  1844,  in 
the  Theological  Library,  by  Gihon,  Fail-child  &  Co.,  containing  the  his- 
torical preface  referred  to. 

[Since  the  above  note  was  written,  I  have  fallen  upon  the  following  par- 
agraph in  the  "  Philadelphian  Magazine,"  1789,  p.  416.    It  throws  light 


148  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  HI. 

HIS    WORK    ON   THE   RESTORATION    OP   ALL   THINGS. 

XX.  "The  Restoration  of  all  things,  or  a  vindication  of  the 
goodness  and  grace  of  God,  to  he  manifested  at  last  in  the 
recovery  of  his  whole  creation  out  of  their  fall,''  was  a  posthu- 
mous work,i  and  first  printed  five  years  after  the  author's 
death.  It  is  the  earliest,  full  and  elaborate  Treatise  on 
TJniv^rsalism  which  has  reached  our  times.  As  its  title 
imports,  its  sole  object  is  to  set  up  and  defend  the  doctrine 
of  Universal  Salvation,  which  is  done  entirely  upon  the 
ground  of  the  Scriptures,  according  to  the  views  its  author 
entertained  of  them.  He  had  imbibed  an  aversion  to  the 
Arminian  principles,  which,  previously  to  the  Protector- 
Bhip,  had  been  the  doctrine  of  many  of  the  English  pre- 
lates ;  hence  he  contends  strenuously  for  predestination, 
election  and  reprobation ;  and  he  prized  his  views  of  the 
final  happiness  of  all  mankind,  the  more  highly,  because 
they  enabled  him  to  reconcile  the  decrees  of  God  with  his 
infinite  benevolence.  Mr.  White  believed,  that  in  the  un- 
changeable plan  of  infinite  wisdom,  those  who  are  elected 
and  those  who  are  reprobated  will  mutually  benefit  each 
other  ;  the  sanctification  and  salvation  of  the  former  are 
the  pledge  of  the  sanctification  and  salvation  of  the  latter. 
He  was  a  Trinitarian. 

The  plan  of  his  work  is  as  follows :  in  each  chapter  he 
produces  the  evidence  on  which  he  relies,  and  then  antici- 

upon  the  authorship  of  the  prefaces  to  Jeremy  White's  work.  "  Mr.  Den- 
nis, of  London,  Bookseller,  published  several  works  on  the  subject  of  uni- 
versal salvation,  and  among  others,  the  Restoration  of  All  Things,  by 
Jeremy  White,  with  a  copious  prefiice,  by  his  own  hand,  in  which  every 
author  of  note,  from  the  Apostolic  and  earliest  ages,  who  have  written  on 
the  same  ground,  down  to  Rev.  R.  Clarke.  Unhappily  Bishop  Burnett's 
testimony  was  omitted,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Winchester,  &c.,  had  not  at  that 
time  received  the  glorious  dispensation. "  The  "  Philadelphian  Magazine  " 
was  a  work  conducted  by  Elhanan  Winchester,  when  he  was  in  England.] 
^  Besides  the  works  already  named,  there  appeared,  "A  Funeral  Ser- 
mon for  Mr.  Francis  Fuller,"  and  "  A  Persuasive  to  Moderation  and  For- 
bearance in  Love,  among  the  divided  forms  of  Christians."  White  also 
wrote  a  most  excellent  preface  to  a  work  entitled  "  The  Rise,  Race  and  Roy- 
alty of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  Soul,"  by  Peter  Sterry  ;  4to,  printed 
1683. 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNIVERSALISM    IN   ENGLAND.  149 

pates'  and  answers  objections.  His  principal  arguments 
are  these  :  God  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved.  This  is  a 
will  of  authority,  of  supreme  sovereignty  ;  it  is  a  fixed, 
determinate,  irrevocable  purpose  of  him  who  ordains  the 
means  as  well  as  the  end.  Jesus  Christ  gave  himself  a 
ransom  for  all  men,  without  any  exception  ;  and  God  is  the 
Saviour  of  all  men,  finally,  in  the  world  to  come.  Jesus 
preached  to  the  spirits  in  prison,  "  men  that  were  gone  off 
the  stage  of  this  worid  ;  "  and  he  was  not  unsuccessful 
like  Noah,  but  reclaimed  the  disobedient,  who  lived  after- 
ward according  to  God  in  the  spirit.  Mercy  is  promised 
to  the  most  rebellious  of  our  race,  and  the  gospel,  accord- 
ing to  the  divine  command,  is  to  be  preached  to  every 
creature.  That  all  things  are  to  be  restored',  is  evident 
from  Paul's  testimony  both  to  the  Ephesians  and  Collos- 
sians  :  ^  we  have  the  assurance  of  this  truth  in  the  charac- 
ter of  God,  who  is  love,  whose  perfections  are  all  love, 
and  to  whiciiliTs  very  anger  is  subservient ;  and  lastly  the 
Scriptures  assure  us  of  the  complete  abounding  of  grace 
over  all  sin  and  all  death.^ 

MR.   WHITE    A    TRULY    DEVOUT    MAN. 

XXI,  Jeremy  White  was  a  truly  devout  and  religious 
man.  His  soul  was  filled  with  a  fervid  love  to  God  and  all 
men.  He  saw  all  the  attributes  of  the  divine  nature  cen- 
tering in  the  love  of  God.  The  poet  of  more  recent  date, 
who  addressed  the  following  inimitable  stanza  to  the  Father 

1  Eph.  i.  10,  and  Coll.  i.  20,  are  the  passages. 

2  Attached  to  the  copy  of  White's  "  Restoration  of  all  Things"  which 
belongs  to  Harvard  College  Library,  is  the  following  manuscript  note  : 
"This  book  was  greatly  esteemed  by  Mr.  Hutcheson,  of  Glasgow;  espe- 
cially the  latter  part  of  it,  beginning  at  page  173  to  the  end."  In  that  part 
of  the  work  with  which  Mr.  Hutcheson  was  particularly  pleased,  the 
author  discusses,  in  a  somewhat  metaphysical  manner,  the  nature  of  God, 
as  beina:  unmixed  benevolence;  and  this  benevolence  he  considered  the 
source  of  all  punishment,  which  hence,  must  be  for  the  recovery  of  the 
sinner;  he  maintains  also  the  final  triumph  of  grace  over  all  sin  and 
death. 


150  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III. 

of  all,  expressed  precisely  the  sentiments  of  that  excellent 
man 

*'  But  though  thy  brightness  may  create. 
All  worship  from  the  hosts  above, 
What  most  thy  name  must  elevate 
Is,  that  thou  art  a  God  of  love. 
And  MERCY  is  the  central  sun 
Of  ALL  thy  glories  joined  in  one." 

So  believing,  he  held  that  all  pure  religion  consisted  in 
true  piety  and  benevolence,  but  especially  the  latter. 
Every  man  in  his  view  was  good  just  so  far  as  he  resem- 
bled God  ;  and  the  only  way  in  which  mortals  can  resem- 
ble God,  is  by  being  filled  with  his  spirit  of  love.  Every 
good  man  must  desire  the  welfare  of  all  others,  and  hence 
he  must  desire  the  salvation  of  all  mankind.  No  man  was 
worthy  in  Mr.  White's  view  to  be  called  a  Christian,  who 
did  not  fervently  desire  the  salvation  of  all  men,  if  it  were 
agreeable  to  the  will  of  God.  To  use  his  own  words  :  "  He 
is  not  a  Christian,  he  is  not  a  man,  he  hath  put  off  the 
tenderness  and  bowels  of  a  man,  he  hath  lost  humanity 
itself,  he  hath  not  so  much  charity  as  Dives  expressed  in 
hell,  that  cannot  readily  cry  out,  '  This  is  good  news  if  it 
be  true  ; '  that  will  not  say  Amen  to  it,  provided  it  be 
agreeable  to  God,  and  what  his  word  will  countenance 
and  own ;  for  under  no  other  law  or  condition  can  we 
groundedly  rejoice  in  any  doctrine,  than  as  it  bears  the  im- 
press and  stamp  of  divine  authority,  and  tends  to  his  glory 
to  which  all  must  bow  :  for  heaven  itself  must  pass  away, 
rather  than  the  gospel  be  innovated,  or  another  gospel 
broached,  how  gratifying  or  acceptable  soever  to  our  fleshly 
minds.  Upon  this  supposition  then,  I  conclude  this  doc- 
trine must  be  acceptable  and  welcome  to  every  good  man."i 

Mr.  White  devoutly  prayed  for  the  divine  guidance  in 
the  preparation  of  his  book.  He  threw  himself  at  the  foot 
of  God's  throne,  and  submitted  all  his  powers  to  the  supreme 

'  Introduction  to  the  work. 


A.  D,  1660.1  UNTVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  151 

direction  of  God.  He  said,  "And  here  I  do,  in  the  fear  of 
God,  most  humbly  prostrate  myself  before  his  Divine  Maj- 
esty, and  in  the  deepest  sense  of  my  own  darkness  and 
distance  from  him,  do  with  all  my  might  beg  of  that  infinite 
goodness  I  am  endeavoring  to  represent  to  others,  that  if 
something  like  to  this  platform  and  prospect  of  things,  be 
not  agreeable  to  that  revealed  and  natural  light  he  hath 
given  to  us,  that  my  undertaking  may  be  interrupted,  my 
design  fall,  and  that  the  Lord  would  pardon  my  attempt : 
and  I  know  he  will  do  so,  for  he  hath  given  me  to  have  no 
further  concern  for  this  matter,  than  as  I  apprehend  it  to 
be  a  most  glorious  truth,  witnessed  to  both  by  the  Scrip- 
tures of  truth,  and  by  the  most  essential  principles  of  our 
own  reason,  and  which  will  be  found  so  at  the  last  opening 
of  the  everlaf^ting  Gospel,  to  recover  in  that  opening  a  de- 
generate world.  But  if  this  be  a  true  draught  and  repre- 
sentation of  the  glorious  designment  of  the  ever  blessed 
goodness  of  the  great  God,  who  is  goodness  itself,  and  if 
the  Holy  Scriptures  and  right  reason  do  bear  witness  unto 
it,  how  clear,  how  fair,  how  open  lies  the  way  before  us  to 
justify  the  sovereign  power,  and  disposal  of  God,  which 
he  exercises  by  election  and  reprobation  too,  with  all  the 
methods  he  useth  in  his  holy  and  glorious  wisdom  and  pru- 
dence, in  giving  way  to  the  entrance  of  sin,  and  then 
enflaming  the  anguish  of  it  by  the  law,  that  he  may  thereby 
have  occasion  to  glorify  his  justice  and  wrath  against  it, 
and  so  make  his  way  to  the  more  glorious  illustration  of 
his  grace  and   love    in   the  close."  ^ 

,  Mr.  White,  like  several  of  the  early  Universalists,  felt  a 
fear  that  the  glorious  doctrine  which  he  defended  might  be 
abused ;  for  wicked  men,  even  in  the  apostles'  days, 
"  turned  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness."  He  there- 
fore, in  closing,  gave  sinners  a  faithful  warning  :  "  I  can- 
not leave  this  doctrine  without  an  alarm  to  sinners.    Though 

'  Introduction  to  the  work. 


152  MODEEN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALIS^.         [Book  III. 

God  be  love,  all  love  to  saints  and  sinners,  yet  he  can  never 
love  sin  nor  take  the  sinner  into  his  bosom,  into  the  eternal 
embraces  of  his  love,  until  he  hath  consumed  sin.  Do  not, 
then,  from  what  you  have  read,  be  encouraged  to  trifle 
with,  and  slight  the  anger  of  a  God.  There  is  no  anger  so 
great,  so  terrible  as  that  which  flows  from  love,  finally 
abused  and  provoked  by  us.  There  is  no  anger  like  the 
anger  of  the  Lamb,  the  meekest  of  all  creatures.  You  may 
read  the  terribleness  of  that  anger.  Rev.  vi. 

"  It  is  dreadful  Scripture,  sinners,  that  tells  you  expressly, 
John  iii.  36,  "that  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  you."  I 
believe,  through  the  light  that  God  hath  given  me,  and  the 
love  I  have  for  you,  it  shall  not  always  abide  upon  you  ; 
but  when  it  will  cease  who  can  tell  ?  I  know  not  the  sea- 
sou  of  the  general  visitation,  though  I  believe  it ;  sure  I 
am,  the  fire  of  that  anger  and  wrath  will  never  go  out  until 
the  fuel  is  burnt  up." 

In  this  frame  of  mind  he  brought  his  work  to  a  close. 
He  had  written  on  the  deep  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  :  he  had  portrayed  the  character  of  God  in  all  its 
glory,  so  far  as  mortal  comprehension  can  know  it ;  he  had 
vindicated  the  ways  of  God  to  men :  he  had  done  it  in  a 
spirit  of  deep  humility  and  joy  :  he  had  warned  sinners 
against  an  abuse  of  this  glorious  doctrine  :  and  now,  how 
could  he  more  properly  close  his  work,  than  by  a  solemn 
prayer  for  the  divine  blessing  to  succeed  his  labors.  The 
last  emotions  of  his  soul,  therefore,  touching  this  matter, 
were  poured  out  in  the  following  supplication,  with  which 
it  is  ended  :  "  Pardon  me,  0  my  God,  if  in  the  contem- 
plation and  experience  of  thy  super-abounding  grace  to  my- 
self, 1  have  been  transported  in  my  representation  of  thee 
beyond  thy  allowance.  I  think  it  impossible  to  exceed, 
when  I  am  admiring  that  grace  of  thine,  which  is  the  high- 
est, the  sweetest,  the  most  exalted  name  of  that  love  which 
is  thyself,  and  the  eternal  spring  of  all  loves  and  loveliness. 
I  presume  not  to  pry  into  the  methods  of  thy  love,  and  thy 


1 


A.  D.  1660.]  UNTVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  153 

seasons  for  the  full  manifestation  of  it.  How  far  thy 
thoughts  and  ways,  which  are  thy  infinite  wisdom,  do 
transcend,  I  know  not :  but  sure  I  am,  they  cannot  fall 
short  of  the  limited  perfections  of  thy  creatures.  Thou 
hast  in  thy  own  first  make,  given  me  a  nature  all  disposed 
to  love.  Thou  hast  by  thy  grace  heightened  and  enlarged 
that  love  to  all  thy  ofispring,  to  every  thing  that  bears  any 
image  or  stamp  of  thyself  upon  it.  I  could  not,  as  I  ought 
to  do,  love  thee,  if  I  did  not  love  thee  wherever  I  find  thee. 
Thou  hast  commanded  me  and  all  thine,  to  overcome  all 
the  evil  of  this  lower  world  with  good.  No  evil,  no  injury 
I  have  met  with  in  this  unkind  world,  for  thy  sake,  or  upon 
any  other  account  whatsoever,  hath  yet  exceeded  my  love 
and  forgiveness.  Yea,  thou  hast  made  it  one  of  my  high- 
est pleasures  to  love  and  serve  enemies.  Can  I,  then,  think 
any  evil  in  any  of  thy  creatures  can  over  set  thy  goodness  ? 
Thou  art  the  highest  .example  to  them  of  all  the  goodness 
thou  requirest  us  to  show  to  one  another.  I  must  believe, 
then,  thy  grace  will  sooner  or  later  super-abound,  wherever 
sin  hath  most  abounded  ;  'till  I  can  think  a  little  drop  of 
being,  and  but  one  remove  from  nothing,  can  excel  in  good- 
ness that  ocean  of  goodness  which  hath  neither  shore,  bot- 
tom, nor  surface.  Thou  art  goodness  itself,  in  the  abstract, 
in  its  first  spring,  in  its  supreme  and  universal  form  and 
spirit.  We  must  believe  thee  to  be  infinitely  good  —  to  be 
good  without  any  measure  or  bound — to  be  good  beyond 
all  expression  and  conception  of  all  creatures,  of  men  and 
angels  :  or  we  must  give  over  thinking  thee  to  be  good  at 
all.  All  the  goodness  which  is  every  whereto  be  found  scat- 
tered among  the  creatures,  is  sent  forth  from  thee,  the  foun- 
tain, the  sea  of  all  goodness.  Into  this  sea  of  all  goodness 
I  deliver  myself  and  all  my  fellows-creatures.  Thou  art 
love,  and  canst  no  more  cease  to  be  so,  than  to  be  thyself. 
Take  thy  own  methods  with  us,  and  submit  us  to  them. 
Well  may  we  so  do,  in  an  assurance  that  the  beginning, 
the  way,  and  the  end  of  them  all  is  love. 


154  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IU. 

To  the  inexhaustible  fountain  of  all  grace  and  goodness, 
from  all  his  creatures,  be  ascribed  all  glory  and  praise  for 
ever  and  ever.     Amen.     Hallelujah !  "  , 

"WORKS    IN    DEFENCE    OF    ENDLESS    MISERY. 

XXII.  [16Y0.]  The  prevalence  of  objections  to  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  misery,  brought  out  this  year  a  work  in 
defence  of  that  doctrine,  by  Richard  Burthogge,  M.  D.  It 
seems  that  this  author  had  published,  about  five  years  be- 
fore, a  treatise,  designed  to  explain  and  vindicate  the  divine 
goodness  from  the  objections  urged  by  the  Atheists.'  A 
friend  of  his  wrote  him  that  he  had  fallen  short  of  the  main 
point  in  this  work  ;  for  it  was  not  the  objections  of  the 
Atheist  against  the  divine  goodness  that  were  hard  to  be 
answered,  but  such  as  were  founded  on  the  presumption 
that  God  would  punish  sin  with  endless  torture.  "  How  is 
it  consistent  with  divine  goodness,"  said  his  friend,  "  to 
inflict  infinite  and  eternal  punishments  for  finite  transgres- 
sions ?  "  Stung,  perhaps,  with  the  reflection  that  he  had 
left  untouched  the  great  objection  to  the  divine  benevo- 
lence, he  determined  on  bringing  out  another  work.  He 
entitled  it  "  Causa  Dei,  or  an  Apology  foi'  God,^'  &c.2  It  is, 
on  the  whole,  creditable  to  him,  showing  him  to  be  a  learned 
man,  and  somewhat  of  a  metaphysician.  But  the  love  of 
his  theory  hampered  him. 

*  "  Divine  Goodness  captivated  and  vindicated  from  the  exceptions  of 
the  Atheist:  wlierein,  also,  the  consent  of  the  gravest  philosophers  with 
the  holy  and  inspired  penmen,  in  many  of  tlie  most  imix)rtant  points  of 
Christian  doctrine,  is  fully  vindicated."  8vo.  1670.  An  account  of  Dr. 
Burthogge  and  his  works  may  be  found  in  Wood's  Athenias  Oxon,  Vol.  ii. 
p.  1007. 

^  The  whole  title  was  as  follows :  "  Causa  Dei,  or  an  Apology  for 
God;  wherein  the  peil)etuity  of  infernal  torments  is  evinced,  and  divine, 
both  goodness  and  justice,  (that  notwithstanding)  defended  :  the  nature 
of  punishments  in  general,  and  of  infernal  ones,  in  particular,  displayed: 
the  evangelical  righteousness  ex])licated  and  settled  :  the  divinity  of  the 
Gentiles,  both  as  to  things  to  be  believed,  and  things  to  be  practiced,  ad- 
ministrated ;  and  the  ways,  whereby  it  was  communicated,  plainly  discov- 
ered."    London,  1675. 


A.  D.  1670.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  155 

ANONYMOUS    WORK    ON    UNIVERSALISM. 

XXIII.  We  introduce  in  this  place  an  account  of  an 
article  to  which  we  are  not  enabled  to  aflSx  any  precise 
date:  it  is  entitled  "Natural  and  Revealed  Religion  ex- 
plaining each  other,"  &c.,  and  is  to  be  found  in  the  "  Hai*- 
lean  Miscellany." »  The  author  of  this  article  was  a 
decided  Universalist ;  but  as  it  had  remained  in  manuscript 
in  the  Earl  of  Oxford's  Library,  until  published  in  the 
Miscellany,  we  are  unable  to  ascertain  to  whom  it  should 
be  attributed.  It  is  divided  into  two  Essays,  the  first 
shotving  ivhat  religion  is  essential  to  man,  and  the  second,  the 
state  of  Souls  after  death  as  discovered  by  Revelation.  A 
religion  essential  to  man,  the  author  maintains  must  be 
founded  in  the  nature  both  of  God  and  man,  and  cannot  be 
opposed  to  either,  more  especially  to  human  reason.  It 
must  embrace  the  fact,  too,  that  the  Deity  could  have  no 
object  in  creating  man  but  the  diffusion  of  happiness,  and, 
therefore,  that  he  is  at  all  times  concerned  for  the  well- 
being  of  his  creatures.  The  second  Essay  he  commences 
by  representing  to  himself  the  Supreme  Being,  as  he  was, 
self-existent  and  self-happy,  before  the  creation.  God 
could  have  no  motive  to  create  man  but  to  communicate 
good,  and  infinite  goodness  could  be  satisfied  with  nothing 
less»  The  effects  of  this  goodness  are  never  suspended, 
but  man  shares  them  in  his  punishment.  Misery  would 
never  have  been  inflicted,  unless  the  ultimate  good  will 
infinitely  surpass  the  damage  man  may  sustain  from  it. 
The  Scriptures  abundantly  support  this  opinion  in  a  variety 
of  instances,  nor  are  there  any  threatenings  which,  when 
rightly  understood,  are  opposed  to  the  supposition.  The 
expressions  "eternal  fire,"  "eternal  damnation,"  and 
others  similar,  cannot  be  brought  forward  as  exceptions, 

*  Quarto  edition,  vol.  vi.  p.  39-51.  The  Harlean  Miscellany  was  a  col- 
lection of  scarce,  curious  and  entertaining  pamphlets  and  tracts,  as  well 
in  manuscript  as  in  print,  found  in  the  Earl  of  Oxford's  Library  after  his 
decease.    It  was  published  in  1744. 


156  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  m. 

for  the  terms  used  to  signify  duration,  both  in  Hebrew  and 
Greek,  are  equivocal.  We  should  determine  the  meaning 
of  these  words  by  the  help  of  those  great  truths  which  are 
the  foundation  of  all  the  rest,  and  which  relate  to  the  per- 
fections of  God,  and  his  design  in  sending  his  Son  into  the 
world.  The  author  shows  from  the  Scriptures  that  Christ 
died  for  all  men,  and  that  all  will  be  benefitted  by  his 
death. 

In  his  time  it  had  been  objected  to  this  doctrine,  that  it 
led  to  licentiousness.  He  answers,  that  the  belief  of  hell 
torments  has  not  prevented  men  from  sinning,  nor  has  it 
ever  been  so  powerful  a  restraint  upon  them  as  the  fear  of 
temporal  evils  ;  nay,  the  fear  of  a  thirty  years'  distemper, 
as  a  consequence  of  sin,  would  be  far  more  efficacious  in 
preventing  it.  It  is  strange  so  great  an  evil  as  eternal 
punishment  should  not  induce  men  to  take  some  means  to 
avoid  it ;  but  the  reason  is,  every  one  persuades  himself  he 
does  not  belong  among  the  wicked  for  whom  this  sad  fate 
is  reserved ;  and,  in  fact,  there  is  so  great  a  disproportion 
between  such  a  punishment  and  human  works,  that  very 
few  reflecting  men  can  bring  themselves  to  believe  God 
will  inflict  it.  The  apprehension  of  a  punishment  which,  is 
proportioned  to  the  offences  of  mankind,  and  is  such  as 
the  Scriptures  assure  us  God  will  inflict,  is  far  more  eflS- 
cacious  in  restraining  men  from  sin  than  the  fear  of  endless 
torment ;  and  while  it  represents  the  character  of  God  in 
an  attracting  point  of  view,  it  begets  in  man  that  dispo- 
sition to  be  like  him,  which  of  all  incentives  to  holiness,  is 
the  most  powerful.  "  Upon  the  whole,"  says  this  author 
in  closing  his  article,  "  I  know  not  whether  any  other  sys- 
tem contains  motives  so  eflBcacious  for  engaging  mankind 
to  walk  in  the  ways  of  real  holiness,  any  system  which 
can  make  religion  more  venerable  in  the  eyes  even  of 
libertines,  or  more  lovely  to  the  lovers  of  truth,  that  places 
in  a  clearer  light   the   wonderful   harmony  of  the  divine 


A.  D.  1670.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  157 

attributes,  and  the  reasons  we  have  to  love  sovereign  per- 
fection." ^ 

We  have  no  means  of  knowing  at  what  time  this  article 
was  composed,  except  by  a  reference  made  in  it  to  the  con- 
troversy between  the  Particularists  and  the  hypothetical 
Universalists  ;  and  from  the  manner  in  which  the  author 
speaks  of  that  controversy,  we  suppose  it  had  been  agitated 
when  he  wrote  ;  nor  does  this  furnish  us  with  any  certain 
means  of  ascertaining  the  date,  since  it  allows  us  to  place 
it  %ny  time  between  A.  D.  1650  and  1700.  We  should 
judge,  however,  by  the  style,  and  manner  of  reasoning, 
that  it  was  not  written  until  near  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth century. 

R.  Stafford's  "thoughts  of  the  life  to  come." 

XXIV,  There  is  still  another  work  which  belongs  to 
this  time,  entitled  "  Some  Thoughts  of  the  Life  to  come," 
which  appeared  in  1693,  written  by  R.  Stafford.  We  have 
no  account  of  this  individual  ;  almost  all  the  usual  sources 
of  biography  fail  us  when  we  seek  to  know  the  lives  of 
these  early  Universalists.*  We  can  do  no  more  than  pre- 
sent the  following  extract  from  the  work  just  named  : 

'"But  God  only  knows  what  may  succeed  after  this,  when  those  misera- 
ble creatures  have  lain  under  condemnation  and  punishment  a  much 
longer  space  of  duration  than  six  or  seven  thousand  years,  (the  ages  or 
evers  of  this  lower  creation,)  now   God  will  look  down  from  the  height 


*  There  is  a  striking  similarity  between  this  article,  and  the  second 
volume  of  the  World  Unmasked,  or  the  Philosopher  the  greatest  Cheat; 
a  work  we  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  in  a  succeeding  chapter.  Either 
they  must  both  have  been  written  by  one  person,  or  the  author  of  one 
made  great  use  of  the  other,  in  preparing  his  work. 

^  There  are  several  reasons  why  we  find  no  biographies  of  many  of  the 
Universalists  of  former  times.  From  the  Reformation  onward,  fur  nearly 
two  hundred  years,  they  were  classed  among  the  so-called  heretics;  and 
the  biographical  writers  of  the  dominant  parties  felt  no  interest  in  sending 
down  to  futui-e  generations  accounts  of  either  the  lives  or  writings  of 
these  men.  It  should  be  also  sijecially  remembered,  that  the  prospect  of 
theii"  writings  or  biographies  coming  down  to  us,  was  almost  wholly  cut 

14 


158  MODEEN   HISTORY    OF   UNIVEESALISM.         [Book  III. 

of  his  Sanctuary:  •  From  heaven  will  the  Lord  behold  the  earth,'  (yea,  and 
■who  knows  whether  he  will  behold  yet  lower:  '  If  I  make  my  bed  in  hell, 
behold  Thou  art  there!')  —  'to  hear  the  groaning  of  the  prisoners,  to 
loose  them  that  are  appointed  to  death.'  Psa.  cii.  19,  20;  (in  the  margin 
there,  it  is  the  children  of  death.)  This  one  Scripture  is  of  more  worth 
than  ten  thousand  worlds.  If  anything  of  good  or  mitigation  is  intended 
to  them,  it  will  come  in  upon  this  account;  that  they  are  the  creatures  of 
God  and  his  workmanship:  The  Lord  shall  rejoice  in  his  works,  and  they 
shall  reciprocally  rejoice  in  the  Lord  their  God.  If  those  very  creatures 
who  seem  rejected,  can  but  call  upon  him  by  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and 
lay  hold  on  him  as  Exau  did  when  he  cried  with  a  great  and  exceeding 
bitter  cry,  '  Bless  me,  even  me,  0  my  father!    Hast  thou  but  one  blessing, 

0  my  father  ?  (still  putting  in  mind  of  the  relation)  bless  me,  even  me 
also,  0  my  father! '  So  it  may  be  conceived  of  those  condemned  forlorn 
and  miserable  creatures  —  that  after  they  have  been  long  in  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth  —  if  they  can  but  call  upon  him  by  the  name  of 
Creator,  and  remember  and  lay  it  before  him,  that  they  are  the  works 
of  his  hands;  God  hath  more  than  one  blessing  to  saints  and  angels;  he 
may  make  devils  and  condemned  sinners  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of 
water.  '  For  I  will  not  contend  forever  (saith  the  Lord),  neither  will  I 
be  always  wroth,  for  the  spirit  would  fail  before  me,  and  the  souls  which 

1  have  made."  Isa.  Ivii.  18.  'For  God  hath  concluded  all  in  unbelief, 
that  he  might  have  mercy  upon  all.'     Rom.  xi.  32." 

This  author  also  wrote  a  work  designed  to  show,  that 
the  greatest  happiness  man  can  enjoy  in  the  present  world, 
must  be  derived  from  a  truly  religious  life,  in  opposition  to 
the  common  error  that  a  life  of  piety  is  a  life  of  gloom  and 
misery,  and  a  life  of  sin  the  source  of  joy.^ 


off  by  the  Restoration.  That  event  brought  Episcopacy  into  power  again, 
and  rendered  exceedingly  unpopular  all  the  fraternities  of  Independents, 
Anabaptists,  and  sectaries  of  any  other  form.  Had  the  commonwealth  of 
Enprland  been  continued  to  the  present  day,  with  no  restriction  upon  the 
religious  liberty  enjoyed  under  Cromwell,  it  is  possible  that  we  might 
know  a  glorious  cloud  of  witnesses  to  the  doctrine  of  Universal! sm,  whose 
histories  are  now  lost  to  this  world  forever. 

1  This  work  had  the  following  title,  "  Of  Happiness,  wherein  it  is  fully 
and  particularly  manifested  that  the  greatest  happiness  of  this  life  con- 
sisteth  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  keeping  his  commandments,  in  opposition 
to  tlie  pleasures  of  sin,  or  the  pretended  conveinency  of  disobedience." 
By  Richard  Stafford,  London,  1089. 


A.  D.  1670.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  159 


OTHERS    SUPPOSED    TO    HAVE    BEEN    UNIVERSALISTS. 

XXV.  The  author  of  the  preface  to  the  first  edition  of 
Jeremy  White's  work  (already  noticed)  gives  the  following 
paragraph : 

"  This  doctrine  [Universalism]  has  been  cultivated  by  several  others:  as, 
Sadlek,  in  his  Olbia ;  Peter  Sterrt,  author  of  The  Freedom  of  the 
will ;  the  author  of  the  Enochian  walks  with  GOD,^  and  the  Revelation 
of  the  everlasting  Gospel  Message,  to  •which  an  excellent  prefiice  is  pre- 
fixed, running  very  deep  into  the  rationale  of  it;  as  also  by  a  Scotch  gen- 
tleman, author  of  the  Cabalistical  ejiistle,  printed  in  the  Theosophical 
Transactions,  No.  5,  where  he  brings  in  the  testimonies  of  the  Jewish 
Rabbis,^  conspiring  also  to  the  truth  of  this  great  point,  with  several 
others."    Theolog.  Lib.  301,  302. 

John  Sadler  was  an  English  writer  who  flourished  under 
Cromwell.  In  1644,  he  was  made  Master  in  Chancery,  and 
in  1649,  Town  Clerk  of  London.  The  Protector  offered  him 
the  place  of  Chief  Justice  of  Munster,  in  Ireland,  which  he 
declined.  He  was  a  member  of  Parliament,  but  at  the 
Restoration  he  lost  all  his  offices,  because  he  refused  to 
subscribe  the  oath  which  declared  it  unlawful,  under  any 
pretence,  to  take  up  arms  o gainst  the  King.  He  died  in 
16*14,  We  have  not  been  able  to  find  his  "  Olbia/'  and  can- 
not, on  our  own  authority,  make  any  statement  in  regard 
to  it.  Peter  Sterry  is  the  same  individual  that  we  have  al- 
ready mentioned  in  a  note,  as  the  author  of  a  work  to 
which  Jeremy  White  wrote  "  a  most  excellent  preface." 

JANE    LEADLET   AND    THE    PHILADELPHIAN    SOCIETY. 

XXVI.  A  person  by  the  name  of  Jane  Lead,  (or  Lead- 
ley),  occupied  much  of  the  public  attention  during  the  latter 
part  of  the  Hth  century.     The  Philadelphian^  Society  was 

*  The  author  of  this  work  was  Jane  Leadley. 

2  On  this  matter  of  the  Jewish  Rabbis  I  hope  to  offer  important  facts  in 
another  place. 

3  From  the  two  Greek  words,  (ptXfo  signifying  to  love,  and  a^'i^ov;  breth- 
ren. It  is  the  same  in  its  derivation,  with  the  name  of  the  great  city 
of  Pennsylvania. 


160  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNI  VERS  ALISM.         [BcoK  IH. 

formed  by  her  about  1697,  She  was  born  in  1624,  and 
lived  a  long  life  of  benevolence  and  pious  contemplation. 
She  was  devoted  with  great  ardor  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
res^i^w/fon.  of  all  things.  She  could  not  believe  that  God 
would  torment  men  endlessly.  Such  a  dogma  was  so  ut- 
terly opposed  to  her  benevolent  nature,  she  could  not  pos- 
sibly receive  it.  She  desired  to  have  the  kingdom  of  God 
established  here  on  the  earth.  If  men,  she  said,  would  but 
give  themselves  up  to  the  influences  of  Christianity,  they 
would  all  be  united  and  happy.  She  held  there  would  cer- 
tainly be  such  a  state  of  things  here  on  earth  before  the 
end  of  the  world. ^ 

A  state  of  things  so  truly  happy,  would  be  dissolved  on 
earth,  only  to  exist  again,  in  absolute  perfection,  in  the 
world  of  bliss.  Such  was  the  hope  which  the  founder  of 
the  Society  entertained  in  the  final  restoration  of  all  fallen 
intelligences,  a  doctrine  which  holds  an  eminent  place  in 
her  writings. 

It  does  not  appear  that  this  Society  ever  set  xip  a  sepa- 
rate worship.  Its  principles  spread  silently  ;  and  there  is 
no  cause  of  wonder,  since  they  were  what  every  good  man 
would  wish  to  have  prevail.  The  fortune  of  the  founder 
(her  husband  was  very  rich),  enabled  her  to  publish  her 
works,  which  appeared  in  eight  volumes.  Among  her  fol- 
lowers were  some  persons  of  learning  ;  but  those  who  were 
the  most  eminent  in  the  defence  of  her  opinions,  were  John 
Pordage,  a  physician,  and  Thomas  Bromley,  author  of  some 
works  in  English,  which,  being  translated  into  the  Dutch 
and  German  languages,  made  proselytes  in  those  countries. 
Jane  Leadley  died  in  1104.  Her  life  was  written  by  Dr. 
Lee.  William  Law  was  afterwards  much  affected  with  this 
lady's  opinions. 

The  Philadelphian  Society  did  not  aim  to  be  a  distinct 
Sect      Religion,  to  them,  consisted  in  pious  contemplation, 

*  A  good  account  of  this  woman  may  be  found  in  Mosheim's  Church 
History,  Cen.  xvii.  Sec.  ii.,  Part  ii.  Chap  7.  Histoire  des  Sectes  Relig. 
par  M.  Gregoire,  T.  i.  148,  149. 


A.  D.  1670.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  161 

the  love  of  mankind,  and  benevolent  actions.  They  thought 
there  were  too  many  sects  already,  and  did  not  wish  to 
form  another. 

The  following  is  from  the  pen  of  Mrs.  Leadley, ' 

"  But  a  new  and  wonderful  model  will  God  bring  forth  in  a  new  created 
state.  Behold,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will  make  all  things  new.  The  end 
shall  return  to  its  original  primary  being.  Let  none  grudge  that 
the  grace  of  God  of  this  latitude  is,  to  make  a  complete  restoration. 
For  as  once  there  was  no  sin,  nor  centi-e  to  it ;  so  it  must  be  again, 
when  the  hour  of  God's  judgment  shall  come  to  pass  a  final  sentence  there- 
upon, to  cast  all  into  that  lake  and  bottomless  pit  where  all  of  sin  and 
death,  sorrow  and  curse,  shall  become  a  non-entity.  Then  nothing  of 
diabolical  spirits  (God's  offenders,  or  his  creature-disturbers  or  torment- 
ors,) shall  be.  All  of  this  in  the  prophecy  of  Eternity  will  be  known,  and 
evei'lastingly  rejoiced  in  :  [the  manifestation  of  which  prophecy  is]  as  a 
fore-runner  of  this  blissful  jubilee  ;  the  trumpet  of  the  everlasting  gospel 
of  love,  peace,  and  reconciliation  to  every  creature  capable  thereof,  in 
flesh,  and  out  of  flesh,  that  are  not  yet  fully  redeemed. 

"  This  gospel  is  not  a  bare  sound  to  be  heard  only  by  the  ears.  It  is  a 
Spirit  that  enters  in,  and  gives  the  power  of  a  resurrection-life  to  the 
dead,  that  could  no  way  raise  themselves,  neither  in  bodies,  nor  out,  (as 
found  in  their  several  confinements,)  who  will  thereby  be  loosened,  and 
set  free." 

A  few  words  more  of  Jane  Leadley's  principles  and  fol- 
lowers :  She  was  a  mystic,  and  the  subject  (as  she  sup- 
posed) of  many  revelations  from  heaven.  She  did  not  ar- 
gue the  point  of  Universalism  (she  argued  nothing) ; 
but  rather  received  it  as  something  congenial  to  her  benev- 
olence and  the  revelations  made  to  her. 

I  have  seen  "  The  wars  of  David  and  the  peaceable  reign 
of  Solomon  ;  symbolizing  the  times  of  warfare  and  resent- 
ment of  the  Saints  of  the  Most  High  (xod,  &c."  First  pub- 
lished in  A.  D.  1700.     Republished  at  London,  in  1816. 

She  held,  among  other  great  truths,  "  That  not  only  the 
justice,  but  also  the  mercy  of  God  is  over  all  his  works  ; 
and  that  as  the  one  is  not  confined  to  this  short  life,  so  also 
is  not  the  other  ;  but  that  they  may  both  endure  forever." 

»  "  Enochian  Walks  with  God,"  by  Jane  Leadley,  2d  Edition,  p.  27.  She 
did  not  reason  so  much  as  she  prophesied  and  asserted.  The  spirit  dwelt 
in  her,  and  she  spoke  from  and  by  it,  and,  of  course,  needed  to  prove  nothing. 

14* 


162  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  III. 

"  That  Christ,  as  he  is  heir  of  all  things,  will  lose  nothing 
that  is  his  right,  or  that  the  Father  hath  given  him  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end ;  but 
all  creatures,  whether  in  heaven  or  in  earth,  or  under  the 
earth,  shall  be  made  to  submit  themselves  to  him,  and  to 
bow  the  knee."     See  work  above    named,  p.  26. 

One  of  her  principal  followers  was  Francis  Lee,  M.  D. 
"  He  was  a  man  of  stupendous  learning,  and  was  most  in- 
timate with  Robert,  Earl  of  Oxford,  when  Lord  High  Trea- 
surer, to  whom  several  proposals  were  made  by  him  for  the 
history,  honor  and  advantage  of  these  nations  ;  his  works 
are  very  numerous,  but  as  he  could  never  be  prevailed  on 
to  aflSx  his  name  to  any  one,  they  have  been  made  public 
under  the  names  of  others,  or  have  come  into  the  world 
anonymously.  The  greatest  part  of  Mr.  Nelson's  "  Feasts 
and  Fasts"  I  found  (saith  the  author  of  his  life)  in  his  own 
hand,  after  his  decease  ;  he  was  the  first  that  put  Mr.  Hoare 
and  Mr.  Nelson  upon  the  founding  of  charity  schools,  upon 
the  same  plan  as  that  of  Halle,  in  Germany,  (superintended 
by  the  famous  Augustus  French) :  and  he  (Dr.  Lee)  was 
continually  promoting  and  encouraging  all  manner  of  char- 
ities, both  public  and  private.  Peter  the  Great,  Czar  of 
Muscovy,  was  exceedingly  partial  to  him,  for  whom,  by 
request,  he  wrote  (in  the  year  1698,)  Proposals  for  the  right 
framing  of  his  government.  Vide  "Dissertations  Theolog- 
ical, Mathematical  and  Physical,  by  Francis  Lee,  M.  D." 
2  Vols.  8vo.  1152.^ 

Leadley  mentions  as  among  her  followers  Dr.  John  Por- 

*  "  ATTOAEinOMENA,  or  Dissertations  Theological,  Mathematical  and 
Physical;  with  a  Critical  Commentary  on  the  most  difficult  places  of  the 
Book  of  Genesis  :  wherein  the  divine  authority  of  Moses  is  vindicated 
against  the  objections  of  all  Sceptics,  Deists  and  other  Infidels.  To  which 
are  prefixed  a  short  account  of  the  author  :  Proposals  given  to  Peter  the 
Great,  Czar  of  Muscovy,  anno  1G98,  for  the  right  framing  of  his  govern- 
ment. And  a  Second  Edition  of  the  Dissertation  upon  the  Second  Apoch- 
ryphal  Book  of  Esdras.  By  the  late  pious  and  learned  Francis  Lee,  M.  D. 
In  2  Vols,  in  one.  The  whole  faithfully  transcribed,  and  corrected 
from  the  autlior's  own  manuscripts,  for  the  benefit  of  his  daughters." 
London,  1752,  8vo.  pp.  500. 


A.  D.  1680.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  163 

dage,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Thomas  Bromley.  Dr.  Pordage  wrote 
a  work  entitled  "  Theologia  Mvstica." 

The  "  Theosophical  Transactions  "  was,  I  suspect,  a  pub- 
lication of  the  members  of  the  Philadelphian  Society. 

"  The  leading  persons  of  the  Society  (under  the  conduct 
of  Mi's.  Leadley  where  Dr.  Edward  Hooker,  Dr.  Francis  Lee, 
and  many  other  persons  of  note,  with  some  noblemen. 
Their  public  meeting  was  first  held  at  Hungerford  House, 
then  at  Westmoreland  House,  and  lastly  at  Hoxtan,  where 
they  finished  their  divine  testimony.  They  held  a  corres- 
pondence with  the  waiters  and  expectants  of  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ  in  all  parts  of  Europe.  It  is  worthy  of  remark 
that  there  used  to  assemble  with  them  so  great  a  number 
of  ladies,  (many  of  whom  were  of  the  first  quality),  that  it 
was  called,  in  derision.  The  Tafiata  Society."  ^ 

RETROSPECTION    OF    CHAPTER    III. 

XXVn.  Royalty  is  an  empty  shadow  at  the  best.  Mon- 
archs  have  been  feeble,  frail,  fallible  beings,  falling  perhaps 
below  the  mediocrity  of  mankind  in  talent,  judgment  and 
good  intentions.  Everything  that  was  execrable  combined 
ill  the  character  of  Henry  VHI.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
amiable  son,  Edward  VI.,  but  0  how  brief  a  reign  had  the 
latter.  That  stern  King,  before  whom  all  monarchs  must 
bow,  brought  down  young  Edward  prematurely  to  his 
grave.  To  him  succeeded  Mary,  bloody  Mary,  of  Catholic 
origin,  of  Catholic  education,  and  of  Catholic  partiality. 
Blame  her,  only  in  part,  for  the  evil  deeds  of  her  reign. 
Blame  her  advisers,  her  ministers,  her  aspiring  bishops, 
blood-thirsty  men,  who  were  as  unlike  their  Master,  as 
their  mitres  were  unlike  his  crown  of  thorns.  To  Mary  in 
the  good  providence  of  God,  after  a  reign  of  only  five 
years,  succeeded  Elizabeth,  a  woman  of  intellect,  who 
would  join  herself  to  no  man  in  marriage,  and  whose  life 

*  See  Roach's  "  Great  Crisis." 


164  MODEBN    HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALTSM.  Book  IH. 

would  have  been  almost  spotless,  were  it  not  that  she  wa3 
accessary  to  the  death  of  poor  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots. 
To  Elizabeth,  succeeded  James  I.,  and  to  him  Charles  I., 
who  paid  upon  the  scaffold  the  price  of  his  temerity  and 
want  of  respect  for  the  people's  rights.  Faulty  as  he  was, 
who  can  avoid  shedding  a  tear  for  Charles  ?  The  next  man 
who  ruled  England  was  Cromwell,  a  usurper,  as  he  is 
called  ;  but  he  was  a  man,  who  had  as  good  a  right  to 
reign  as  any  other.  He  won  the  distinction  with  his 
own  arm.  The  force  of  circumstances,  the  necessities  of 
the  nation  elevated  him  to  the  highest  office.  He  had  no 
son  of  sufficient  merit  to  succeed  him  ;  and  Charles  H. 
gained  the  throne.  During  the  Protectorship,  the  largest 
religious  liberty  had  been  enjoyed.  There  was  no  union 
of  Church  and  State,  Every  one  had  liberty  to  worship 
God  in  his  own  way,  if  he  disturbed  not  others  in  their 
worship.  England  had  not  seen  such  a  day  for  many, 
many  years.  The  Presbyterians  who  had  lifted  up  their 
heads  very  high  under  the  Scotish  line  of  kings,  had  been 
exceedingly  oppressive.  But  the  people  of  England  were 
not  ready  for  Presbyterianism  ;  and  the  army,  which  could 
not  be  resisted,  went  for  the  lai-gest  individual  liberty  in 
religion.  When  one  of  the  preachers  went  to  Cromwell 
with  a  complaint,  that  some  other  had  preached  against 
him,  (the  individual)  desiring  to  have  him  arrested,  Crom- 
well replied,  "if  he  hath  preached  against  thee,  preach 
back  again."  Among  the  Independents  there  was  a  great 
variety-  of  sects.  Each  one  belonged  to  what  body  he 
pleased  and  paid  his  money  to  whom  he  pleased.  The  Univer- 
salists  of  this  day  were  found  among  the  Independents. 
There  were  none  among  the  Presbyterians.  None  of  the 
penalties  could  put  an  end  to  free  inquiry.  There  was  no 
sect  called  Universalists.  Those  who  held  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  final  hoppiness  of  all  men,  maintained  the  point 
each  in  his  own  way,  by  preaching,  or  by  disputation,  or 
by  printing.     There  had  been  no  books  on  Universalism. 


A.  D,  1690.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  1G5 

The  people  learned  the  doctrine  only  from  the  Common 
Version,  which,  in  the  time  of  Cromwell,  as  now,  was  King 
James'  version.  The  Fourierists  of  that  day  were  inclined 
to  Uuiversalisra,  though  they  were  not  then  called  by  that 
name,  but  by  the  equally  unmusical  name  of  Diggers, 
because  they  held  that  every  man  had  a  right  to  an  acre 
of  land,  or  more,  on  which  to  subsist.  Everard  and  Win- 
stanley  both  defended  the  opinions  of  the  diggers.^  We 
delight  to  look  at  the  conscientious  Earbury,  vacating  his 
place,  on  account  of  the  terror  he  had  for  tythes.  In  this 
respect  he  differed  very  essentially  from  the  prelates  of  the 
Episcopal  Church  when  they  had  power,  or  the  clergy 
among  the  Presbyterians.  Behold  the  noble  independence, 
the  indomitable  perseverance,  the  never  failing  courage  of 
Richard  Coppin,  the  Hosea  Ballon  of  his  day.  His  views 
agree  more  closely  with  the  views  of  the  Universalists  of 
this  day,  than  those  of  any  man  of  that  age.  He  was  a 
student  of  the  Bible,  and  perhaps  of  nothing  else  ;  and 
was  always  ready  to  stand  up  for  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus. 
His  character  was  beyond  reproach,  for  in  all  the  contro- 
versies in  which  he  was  engaged  not  one  of  his  opponents 
ever  breathed  a  word  against  his  character  for  purity, 
honesty  and  general  uprightness  of  life.  Come  a  little 
nearer  our  own  day  and  we  see  Samuel  Richardson,  an 
eminent  Baptist,  bringing  out  a  work  against  the  eternity 
of  hell  torments,  shaking  its  foundation,  throwing  down  its 
pillars,  and  removing  the  immense  fabric  of  error.  He 
was  much  like  Coppin  in  his  views  ;  though  we  have  no 
proof  that  in  their  day,  they  ever  had  any  connection,  or 
in  fact  even  knew  each  other.  Cromwell  has  been  slander- 
ed by  the  friends  of  monarchy  ever  since  his  day.  He 
was  a  strong  man.  We  must  not  judge  him  by  all  the 
rules  which  apply  to  men  in  our  day.     Judge  him  by  the 


*  See  Oliver  Cromwell's  Letters  and  Speeches  -with  elucidations.     By 
Thomas  Carlyle.     New  York,  Wiley  and  Putnam,  1845;  Vol.  i.  p.  357. 


166  MODERN   HISTORY  OP  UNTVERSALISM.        [BookIIL 

standard  of  morality  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  He 
could  not  have  known  our  standard.  Compare  him  with 
the  people  around  him.  Was  he  not  better  than  many  of 
the  rulers  whose  names  are  spoken  with  respect  ?  Did  he 
not  teach  kings  many  salutary  lessons  ?  His  son  had  not 
the  strength  of  the  father  and  would  not  bear,  and  did  not 
seek  to  assume,  the  weight  of  government.  Then  came 
back  the  Stuarts,  in  the  person  of  Charles  II.  to  reign  for 
a  short  time,  and  go  down  forever.  Oppressed  by  the 
king,  but  triumphant  in  his  religious  faith,  see  Sir  Henry 
Vane,  the  younger,  led  to  the  scaffold.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  confidence  in  God  ;  a  strong  believer  in  the  rectitude 
of  the  Divine  government,  who  held  that  God  at  last 
would  bring  all  his  creatures  to  the  possession  of  happiness. 
Behold  Jeremy  White,  the  truly  religious  man,  the  ardent 
believer  in  the  Divine  goodness,  a  chaplain  in  the  family 
of  the  Protector.  Such  are  the  events  and  characters  that 
pass  before  us,  in  review  of  the  History  of  Universalism 
in  England  from  1650  to  1700.  Truth  cannot  be  put  down 
by  force.  You  may  shed  the  blood  of  heretics,  but  this 
will  not  extinguish  the  light  of  their  lives  and  doctrines. 


BOOK    IV. 


HISTOEY    OF  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND   CONTINTIED;  AND 
NOTICES  OF  ITS  EMINENT  DEFENDERS 

[From  A.  D.  1650  to  1750.] 

The  doctrine  of  endless  misery  assailed  in  the  Church  of  England;  Jeremy 
Taylor  inclined  to  Universalism ;  Dr.  Henry  More,  a  supposed  believer 
in  Universal  Restoration ;  Dr.  Thomas  Goodwin  and  Dr.  Isaac  Barrow 
compared  with  Dr.  More;  Archbishop  Tillotson  covertly  attacked  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misery;  Generally  understood  to  reject  that  doctrine; 
His  excellent  character  and  influence;  His  remarkable  Sermon;  The  op- 
position it  excited  from  the  believers  in  endless  misery ;  defended  by 
Le  Clerc,  Kettlewell  and  others;  Sir  Wm.  Dawes  comes  out  in  defence 
of  endless  misery,  and  the  works  of  Drexelius  and  Swinden  are  publish- 
ed ;  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet  opposes  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  with  great 
zeal ;  The  excellent  arguments  he  used ;  He  thought  the  doctrine  should 
not  be  preached;  Dr.  Watts  finds  fault  with  him  on  this  point;  "William 
Whiston  and  his  works;  The  controversies  occasioned  by  his  writings; 
Charles  Povey's  work;  Dr.  Wm.  Dodwell  attacks  Whiston;  Sir  Isaac 
Newton  agrees  with  Whiston,  as  does  also  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke;  Dr. 
George  Cheyne  defends  Universalism;  The  Chevalier  Ramsay;  His 
works  defend  Universalism ;  He  died  the  only  specimen  of  a  Catholic, 
believer  in  Universalism;  De  Foe  hints  at  Universalism;  Dr.  Watts;  Dr. 
Doddridge:  Rev.  John  Barker;  Dr.  Edward  Young;  Samuel  Colliber 
doubts  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery;  R.  Roach,  B.  D.,  a  Universalist; 
Mr.  Wm.  Dudgeon  a  Universalist;  Venn's  work  in  favor  of  endless 
misery;  Bishop  Waburton's  Divine  Legation;  Retrospection. 

THE    DOCTRINE     OF     ENDLESS     MISERY     ASSAILED     IN     THE    CHURCH 
OF    ENGLAND. 

I.  In  the  last  chapter  we  brought  up  the  History  of 
Universalism  in  England  to  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  We  there  saw,  that  that  doctrine  had  prevailed 
among   the   Independents,   of  the   time   of  the  Common- 

167 


168  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

■wealth  ;  and  that  besides  others,  Jeremy  White,  chaplain 
to  Cromwell,  had  believed  that  doctrine,  and  regarded  it 
of  so  great  importance  as  to  prepare  a  learned  treatise  in 
defence  thereof.  We  must  now  go  back  again  into  the 
seventeenth  century,  that  we  may  bring  into  view  a  class 
of  English  divines  who  were  favorable  to  Universalism, 
and  who,  at  the  same  time,  were  regarded  as  some  of  the 
brightest  luminaries  of  the  Church  to  which  they  belonged  ; 
we  mean  Dr.  Henry  More,  Archbishop  Tillotson,  Dr. 
Thomas  Burnet,  Wm.  Whiston  and  others.  When  Tillotson 
was  in  college,  he  became  acquainted  with  More  and  Eust, 
afterwards  Bishop  of  Dromore,  in  Ireland,  and  of  whom 
we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  in  a  succeeding  chapter  ; 
and  here  it  is  probable  the  foundation  of  that  liberality  in 
sentiment  was  laid  which  afterward  distinguished  these 
men.^  In  the  freedom  with  which  they  wrote  against  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misery,  and  in  the  tendency  of  their 
arguments  towards  the  doctrine  of  Universalism,  we  see 
some  of  the  first  fruits  of  the  change  in  the  Articles,  and 
of  the  omission  therefrom  of  the  condemnation  of  the  last 
named  doctrine. 

The  following  paragraph  from  Jeremy  Taylor  would  lead 
to  the  belief  that  he  was  inclined  to  Universalism.  He  was 
attached  to  the  Church  of  England,  in  the  time  of  Laud,  and 
was  held  in  high  estimation.  During  the  commonwealth  he 
left  the  country,  and  went  first  to  Wales,  and  lived  in  com- 
parative obscurity,  and  afterwards  to  Ireland.  After  the 
restoration,  he  was  nominated  to  a  Bishoprick.  He  was 
the  warm  friend  and  associate  of  Bishop  Rust,  who,  it  is 
well  known,  was  a  Universalist.  We  say  nothing  further 
in  regard  to  Taylor's  opinions,  but  leave  the  following 
extract  to  speak  for  itself : 

On  the  Character  of  God.  Tliey  also  fear  God  unreasonably,  and 
epeaks  no  good  things  concerning  him,  who  say  that  God  hath  decreed 

>  Birch's  Life  of  Tillotson. 


A.  D.  1670.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  169 

the  greatest  part  of  mankind  to  eternal  damnation,  and  that  only  to  de- 
clare his  severity,  and  to  manifest  his  glory  by  a  triumph  in  our  torments, 
and  rejoicings  in  the  gnashings  of  our  teeth;  who  say  that  God  com- 
mands us  to  observe  laws  which  are  impossible ;  that  think  he  will  condemn 
innocent  persons  for  errors  of  judgment  which  they  cannot  avoid;  that  he 
will  condemn  whole  nations  for  different  opinions  which  they  are  pleased 
to  call  heresies;  that  think  God  will  exact  the  duties  of  a  man  by  the 
measure  of  an  angel,  or  will  not  make  abatement  for  all  our  jjitiable  in- 
firmities. ...  He  that  says  there  was  no  such  a  man  as  Julius  Coesar  does 
him  less  displeasure  than  he  that  says  there  was,  but  that  he  was  a  tyrant 
and  a  bloody  parricide.  And  the  Cimmerians  were  not  esteemed  impious 
for  saying  that  there  was  no  sun  in  the  heavens;  but  Anaxagoras  was 
esteemed  irreligious  for  saying  the  sun  was  a  very  stone;  and  though  to 
deny  that  there  is  a  God  is  a  high  impiety  and  intolerable,  yet  he  says 
worse,  who,  believing  there  is  a  God,  says  he  delights  in  human  sacrifices, 
in  miseries  and  death,  in  tormenting  his  servants,  and  punishing  their 
very  infelicities  and  unavoidable  mischances.  To  be  God,  and  to  be 
essentially  and  infinitely  good,  is  the  same  thing;  and  therefore  to  deny 
either,  is  to  be  reckoned  among  the  greatest  crimes  of  the  world. — Jeremy 
Taylor'' s  Sermons. 


DR.    HENRY    MORE. 

II.  [1670.]  Writers  of  the  first  respectability  have  agreed 
in  considering  Dr.  Henry  More  as  a  believer  of  the  doc- 
trine of  Universal  Restoration.  In  reference  to  his  views 
on  this  point,  it  is  supposed  Dr.  Rust  describes  him,  as  "  a 
man  whom  after  ages  would  better  understand."  *  Dean 
Swift  has  left  a  testimony  to  the  same  point,*  to  which  may 
be  added  that  of  the  author  of  the  preface  to  the  first 
edition  of  Jeremy  White '  on  Divine  Goodness,  and  of  the 
editor  of  the  Monthly  Repository.*  Dr.  More  has  left  no 
direct  testimony  in  favor  of  this  sentiment,  though  his 
writings,  particularly  his  Divine  Dialogues,  seem  designed 
to  lead  to  it. 

His  parents  and  early  instructors  were  rigid  Calvinists  ; 
but  even  in  his  youth  he  had  a  great  abhorrence  of  their 


*  Monthly  Rcpos.  ix.  560. 

*  Abstract  of  Collins'  Discourse  on  Free  Thinking,  xiv.  203. 
'  See  Preface,  &c. 

*  Monthly  Repos.  ix.  560. 

15 


170  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIYERSALISM.        [Book  IV, 

sentiments.  He  thought  if  the  doctrine  of  predestination 
were  true,  and  he,  at  last,  should  be  among  the  damned, 
he  would  do  what  he  could  to  please  God  ;  nor  could  he 
but  entertain  the  belief  that  in  such  an  event,  God  would 
not  keep  him  long  in  miserj'.'  While  very  young  he  was 
put  under  the  care  of  an  uncle,  who  did  not  hesitate  to 
apply  the  rod,  when  his  nephew  disputed  against  Calvin- 
istic  points  of  faith. ^  In  manhood  he  was  of  the  most 
unassuming  manners,  possessed  of  the  greatest  meekness, 
and  of  no  ambition  whatever  :  and  the  purity  of  his  life  is 
allowed,  universally,  to  surpass  all  praise.  He  had  fre- 
quent offers  of  preferment,  which  he  rejected,  and  even 
resigned  a  living  in  favor  of  a  friend,  that  he  might  go 
into  retirement,  with  a  small  but  sufficient  income,  devot- 
ing his  time  to  literary  pursuits.  His  works  in  three  folios 
were  once  held  in  high  repute.  He  died  at  the  age  of  13, 
on  September  1st,  1687.  His  life  extended  through  the 
reign  of  James  I.,  the  stormy  reign  of  Charles  I.,  the  ex- 
citing scenes  of  the  Commonwealth  and  Protectorate,  and 
the  reign  of  Charles  H.  A  man  of  his  quiet  spirit  might 
well  exclude  himself  from  the  world  around  him,  when  it 
was  in  such  a  state  of  turmoil  and  uncertainty. 

The  work  in  which  he  favors  Universalism,  is  his  Divine 
Dialogues  ;  but  here,  instead  of  an  express  assertion  of 
the  sentiment,  we  find  only  those  principles  laid  down 
which  carry  the  mind  insensibly  towards  it.  Of  these 
Dialogues,  however,  we  have  seen  only  the  three  first, 
which  were  published  in  a  volume  by  themselves,  at  Lon- 
don, 1668,  They  contain  sundry  disquisitions  concerning 
the  attributes  and  providence  of  God  ;  and  particularly  a 
vindication  of  his  goodness,  which,  the  author  maintains, 
is  in  all  things  connected  with  his  wisdom  and  power, 
and  cannot  be  separated  from  them/"  The  Dialogues  were 
first   published   without  the   name  of  the   author,  but  are 

»  Bio£?raphia  Britan.  '  MontMy  Repos.  vs.,  560. 

»  Page  515. 


A.  D.  1680.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  171 

attributed  to  More  by  all  his  biographers.  We  think  it  not 
an  unreasonable  supposition,  that  his  sentiments  were  more 
fully  made  known  to  his  friends,  than  they  have  been  to 
the  public.^  His  biographer  and  friend,  Richard  Ward, 
says  : 

"  And  trulj'  what,  if  we  consider  it,  was  his  whole  life  spent  in,  but  in 
a  course  of  retirement  and  contemplation ;  in  the  viewing  of  the  works  of 
God  and  nature,  and  a  rejoicing  at  the  happiness  of  the  creatures  that 
have  been  made  by  him;  in  doing  honor  unto  God,  and  good  to  men;  in 
clearing  up  the  existence  of  God,  and  his  attributes;  and  showing  the  ex- 
cellency and  reasonableness  both  of  Providence  and  of  religion,  more 
especially  in  asserting  the  Christian  religion  and  magnifying,  after  the 
justest  manner.  Him  who  is  the  author  and  finisher  of  it;  in  the  illustrat- 
ing of  our  state  present  and  future;  and  in  a  very  particular  discovery  of 
the  two  grand  mysteries  both  of  godliness  and  iniquity;  in  the  clearing  up 
of  truth  and  dissipating  of  error,  and  in  a  most  diligent  laying  open  the 
visions  and  prophecies  of  Holy  Scripture;  in  a  word,  in  a  universal  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  peace  and  righteousness  in  the  earth;  and  giving 
in  general  an  example  of  prudence  and  piety,  of  charity  and  integrity 
amongst  men?  " 

DR.    GOODWIN    AND    DR.    ISAAC    BARROW. 

HI.  While  Dr.  More  was  thus  piously  seeking  to  turn 
men  from  infidelity,  by  a  reasonable  and  cheering  exhibi- 
tion of  the  ways  of  Providence,  there  were  others  who 
adopted  a  difierent  course  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  the 
same  end.  In  1680,  there  appeared  in  London,  a  duodeci- 
mo of  350  pages,  entitled  "  A  Discourse  of  the  Punishment 
of  Sin  in  Hell,  demonstrating  the  wrath  of  God  to  be  the 
immediate  cause  thereof."  By  Thomas  Goodwin,  D.  D. 
The  author  was  then  in  a  very  advanced  age,  being  over 
four  score  years.  The  publishers  say  in  the  preface,  "  We 
judged  that  such  a  rousing  ai-gument  might  not  be  unsea- 
sonable in  so  severe  and  atheistical  an  age  as  this."  It 
was,  in  fact,  a  wicked  time  —  the  latter  part  of  the  reign 

*  To  those  wlio  desire  a  further  knowledge  of  More's  Dialogues,  and 
who  cannot  obtain  the  work,  we  commend  the  account  of  it  which  is  found 
in  the  preface  to  Jeremy  White  on  the  Restoration  of  all  things,  as  pub- 
lished in  the  Theological  Library,  Philadelphia,  1844. 


172  MODERN   HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.  Book  IV 

of  Charles  II.  But  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  the  corrupt 
Monarch  here  named,  and  his  whole  dissolute  court,  were 
probably  believers  of  the  doctrine  defended  by  Dr.  Good- 
win. They  needed  not  to  be  converted  to  that  faith.  The 
King  had  imbrued  his  hands  in  the  blood  of  Sir  Henry  Yane, 
and  opposed  and  persecuted  other  good  men.  He  had 
driven  some  two  thousand  of  honest  clergymen  from  their 
livings,  because  they  would  not  conform  to  his  unjust  re- 
quirements, and  those  of  his  obsequious  Parliament.  The 
higher  orders  of  society  gangrened  under  the  influence  of 
his  example.  It  is  not  to  be  denied,  that  although  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  misery  is  thought  to  be  a  very  rousing 
doctrine,  still  it  has  often  been  held  by  those  whose  con- 
sciences seemed  to  be  but  little  disturbed  by  it.  As  to  the 
Atheists  of  that  age,  we  think  they  were  far  less  likely  to 
be  converted  to  Christianity  by  the  work  of  Dr.  Goodwin, 
than  by  that  of  Dr.  More. 

While  such  measures  were  resorted  to  by  one  class  to 
suppress  infidelity,  others  employed  different  means.  Dr. 
Isaac  Barrow  was  one  of  the  most  learned  men  of  his  time. 
In  mathematics  he  was  scarcely  inferior  to  Sir  Isaac  New- 
ton himself,  by  whom  he  was  succeeded  as  lecturer  on  those 
sciences  at  Cambridge.  He  surrendered  this  office,  that 
he  might  apply  himself  the  more  diligently  to  divinity.  In 
1672,  the  King  raised  him  to  be  master  of  Trinity  College, 
observing  at  the  time,  that  he  gave  the  office  to  the  best 
scholar  in  England.  He  died  in  1611,  and  was  buried  m 
Westminster  Abbey.  He  evidently  had  little  faith  in  the 
doctrine  of  endless  torments.  The  infidels  of  his  day  ob- 
jected to  Christianity,  on  the  ground  that  it  taught  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misei-y,  —  a  doctrine  which  they  main- 
tained was  absolutely  irreconcilable  with  the  infinite  good- 
ness of  God.  In  treating  on  this  great  subject,  in  bis  dis- 
courses, Dr.  Barrow  is  remarkable  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  takes  up  the  judgments  of  God,  as  the  banishment  from 
Eden,  the  overthrow  of  the  cities  of  the  plain,  &c.     Noth- 


A.  D.  1680.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  173 

ing  occurs  to  mar  the  impression  which  one  receives  in  the 
perusal,  that  he  believed  in  the  goodness  of  God  in  the  full- 
est sense,  and  could  not  have  entertained  the  thought  of 
unending  torture/ 

AKCHBISHOP     TILLOTSON    COVERTLY    ATTACKED     THE     DOCTRINE    OP 
ENDLESS    MISERY. 

IV.  [1690.]  Tillotson,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  has 
long  been  classed  among  those  who  have  rejected  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  punishment.  The  singular  and  covert  man- 
ner, however,  in  which  he  has  undermined  and  refuted  that 
sentiment,  has  led  some  to  think  that,  so  far  from  having 
been  an  opposer,  be  was  its  zealous  advocate  ;  for  it  is  in 
a  sermon  in  which  he  was  professedly  favoring  that  tenet, 
that  we  find  the  evidence  he  did  not  believe  it.  One  thing 
is  certain,  the  advocates  of  endless  misery  proved  by  the 
vigorous  defence  of  their  doctrine  which  they  made  to  coun- 
teract his  arguments,  that  they  were  very  far  from  thinking 
he  had  done  any  service  to  their  cause,  but  rather  that  it 
had  sustained  a  great  injury.  Among  those  who  have  con- 
sidered him  a  defender  of  a  limited  future  punishment,  we 
may  mention  Edwards,  in  his  Theologia  Reformata,*  pub- 
lished 1713  ;  Dr.  Whitby,  in  his  Appendix  to  the  second 
Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,^  published  1V18  ;  Dean  Swift  ;* 
the  author  to  the  preface  to  Jeremj'^  White,  on  Divine  Good- 
ness ;  *  Whiston,  who  says  Tillotson  "  chose  rather  to  give 
up  the  veracity  of  God  in  these  his  threateuings,  than  to 
defend  the  eternity  of  punishment;"  the  Editors  of  the 
Monthly  Review  ;  ®  Archbishop  King,  in  the  Appendix  to 
Origin  of  Evil ;  Eberhard,  in  his  New  Apology  for  Socrates  '■,^ 


*  See  Theological  Works  of  Isaac  Barrow,  D.  D.,  in  8  vols.     Oxford, 
University  Press,  vol.  iii.  pp.  514-5r)0. 

2  ii  99.  ^  Commentary,  vol.  ii. 

*  Abstract  of  Collins'  Discourse,  &c.     Swift's  Works,  xiv.  203. 
«  Preface,  &c.  s  xlvii.  191. 

^  liistoire  des  Sectes  Religieuse,  i.  75. 

15* 


174  MODERN   HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book IV. 

Mr.  William  Buncombe,^  well  known  among  the  learned  in 
En^^land  ;  Evans,  in  his  Sketch  of  the  Denominations  of  the 
Christian  World ;  *  Adam,  in  his  Keligious  World  Dis- 
played ;  3  and  many  others.  The  best  and  most  intimate 
friends  of  Tillotson  understood  him  to  hold  the  views  at- 
tributed to  him  by  these  persons  ;  nor  does  his  faithful 
biographer  deny  the  fact,  but  acknowledges  that  on  some 
points,  in  relation  to  future  punishment,  he  agreed  with 
Episcopius,*  whose  writings  had  contributed  essentiallj'^  to 
the  forming  of  his  taste  and  sentiments  in  Theology.* 

HIS    EXCELLENT    CHARACTER. 

V.  His  father  was  an  Anabaptist.®  To  suppose,  however, 
that  his  parents  had  any  influence  in  cultivating  the  relig- 
ious opinions  he  cherished  through  life,  would  be  against 
the  testimony  of  respectable  authors,  who  maintain  that  he 
was  educated  a  Puritan.  He  was  born  in  1630  :  during  the 
stormy  times  at  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Charles  I.  and  of 
the  Commonwealth,  he  was  in  college  ;  at  the  restoration 
he  received  preferments  in  the  church  ;  at  the  revolution, 
when  James  H.  was  overthrown,  he  befriended  the  family 
that  came  into  power  ;  and  on  the  accession  of  William  and 
Mary,  was  eleva'ed  to  the  high  office  which  he  held  at  his 
death.  The  society  of  those  with  whom  he  associated  at 
college,  more  than  any  thing  else,  must,  we  think,  have 
given  that  liberal  tone  to  his  feelings,  and  that  cast  to  his 
sentiments  which  he  always  retained.  In  all  stations  he 
was  faithful ;  and  especially,  as  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
he  performed  his  duties,  amid  the  virulence  and  clamor  of 
his  enemies,  with  satisfaction  to  the  King,  and  honor  to  the 
nation.     For  a  considerable  time  before  his  predecessor, 

*  Hughes  Correspondence,  ii.  156,  and  Month.  Repos.  vii.  491. 

*  Art.  Uuiversalists.  ^  ii.  388. 

*  See  the  account  of  Episcopius  in  that  department  of  this  work  which 
treats  of  Holland. 

*  Life  of  Tillotson,  by  Thomas  Birch. 

*  Milner's  End  of  Controversy,  285,  note  in  loc. 


A.  D,  1690.]  DNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  175 

Sancroffc,  was  suspended,  he  was  thought  of  for  this  oflSce  ; 
but  he  consented  to  his  nomination  with  great  and  unfeigned 
reluctance,  having  a  just  appreciation  of  the  enmity  to  which 
it  would  expose  him,  and  being  induced  thereto  only  by  the 
wish  of  the  King  and  Queen.  As  a  scholar  Dr.  Tillotson 
has  ever  been  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  His  sermons, 
which  have  been  often  republished  since  his  death,  and 
translated  into  various  languages,  are  regarded  as  a  stand- 
ard of  sound  reasoning,  good  sense,  fervent  piety,  and  a 
clear,  elegant  and  unaflected  style.  The  renowned  Addi- 
son, so  universally  known  as  one  of  the  most  elegant  and 
correct  writers  in  the  English  language,  projected  the  plan 
of  an  English  Dictionary,  the  signification  of  the  words  to 
be  illustrated  by  extracts  from  these  discourses.  Bishop 
Burnet,  who  was  his  intimate  friend,  and  who  preached  the 
sermon  at  his  funeral,  drew  his  character  in  the  following 
words  :  "  He  was  a  man  of  the  truest  judgment  and  best 
temper  I  had  ever  known  ;  he  had  a  clear  head,  with  a  most 
tender  and  compassionate  heart ;  he  was  a  faithful  and  zeal- 
ous friend,  but  a  gentle  and  soon  conquered  enemy  ;  he  was 
truly  and  seriously  religious,  but  without  affectation,  big- 
otry or  superstition ;  his  notions  of  morality  were  fine  and 
sublime  ;  his  thread  of  reasoning  was  easy,  clear,  and  solid ; 
he  was  not  only  the  best  preacher  of  the  age,  but  seemed 
to  have  brought  preaching  to  perfection  :  his  sermons  were 
so  well  heard,  and  liked,  and  so  much  read,  that  all  the  na- 
tion proposed  him  as  a  pattern,  and  studied  to  copy  after 
him  ;  his  parts  remained  with  him  clear  and  unclouded  ;  but 
the  perpetual  slanders,  and  other  ill-usage  he  had  been  fol- 
lowed with,  for  many  years,  most  particularly  since  his  ad- 
vancement to  that  great  post,  gave  him  too  much  trouble, 
and  too  deep  a  concern  :  it  could  neither  provoke  him,  nor 
frighten  him  from  his  duty  ;  but  it  affected  his  mind  so 
much,  that  it  was  thought  to  have  shortened  his  days."' 

*  Burnet's  Own  Time,  folio  ii.  135. 


176  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book IV. 

He  exercised  always  the  Christian  spirit  of  forgiveness  ; 
and  after  "his  death  were  found  some  bundles  of  papers 
and  letters,  full  of  invective  and  malicious  insinuations,  on 
which  he  wrote,  with  his  own  hand,  "  these  are  libels,  I 
pray  God  to  forgive  them  as  I  do."  He  ever  exerted  him- 
self strenuously  against  Popery  and  Atheism.  It  was  his 
strong  opposition  to  the  former  that  made  him  somewhat 
obnoxious  to  James  II.,  and  that  brought  him  into  the  favor 
of  the  new  King  and  Queen,  when  James  was  obliged  to 
quit  his  throne.  Tillotson,  by  his  profound  reasoning  on 
the  existence  of  God,  by  his  pure  and  beautiful  style,  by 
his  engaging  labors  as  a  preacher,  by  his  various  publica- 
tions, by  his  blameless  life,  and  by  his  gx-eat  influence  as 
Archbishop,  did  more  probably,  in  his  day,  to  resist  the 
spread  of  Atheism,  than  any  other  man  in  England.  It  is 
the  influence  of  such  men,  and  their  works,  rather  than  the 
threatening  of  unbelievers  with  endless  misery,  that  wins 
souls  to  faith  in  God,  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

HIS    REMARKABLE    SERMON. 

VI.  [1690.]  The  sermon,  of  which  we  have  already 
spoken,  and  in  which  we  find  the  evidence  that  the  Arch- 
bishop opposed  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment,  was 
preached  while  he  was  Dean  of  St.  Paul's,  before  the  Queen, 
on  the  nh  of  March,  1689-90.  The  text  is  Matt.  xxv.  46, 
"  These  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the 
righteous  into  life  eternal.^'  After  a  proper  introduction,  he 
laid  down  the  two  following  propositions,  which  he  endeav- 
ored to  establish  : 

I.  That  the  eternal  punishment  of  wicked  men,  in  another 
world,  is  plainly  threatened  in  Scripture.     And 

II.  That  this  (i.  e.  the  threat  of  eternal  punishment)  is  not 
inconsistent  either  with  the  justice  or  goodness  of  God. 

He  treated  the  first  proposition  briefly.  That  the  words 
applied  to  the  duration  of  punishment  are  often,  by  the 
sacred  writers,  used  in  a  limited  sense,  he  acknowledged. 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  177 

But  he  maintained  that  they  are  also  used  to  signify  "an 
interminable  and  endless  duration.  Now,  if  God  had  in- 
tended to  have  told  us  that  the  punishment  shall  have  no 
end,  the  languages  in  which  the  Scriptures  were  written 
do  hardly  afford  fuller  and  more  certain  words  to  express 
to  us  a  duration  without  end.  And  likewise,  which  is  also 
a  peremptory  decision  of  the  thing,  because  the  duration 
of  the  punishment  of  wicked  men,  is  in  the  very  same 
sentence  expressed  by  the  very  same  word  which  is  used 
for  the  duration  of  the  happiness  of  the  righteous."  After 
this,  very  few  would  expect  to  find  the  author  an  advocate 
for  limited  punishment.  But  let  us  see  how  he  proceeded 
in  showing  that  the  threat  of  endless  punishment  is  con- 
sistent with  the  justice  and  goodness  of  God. 

He  took  notice  of  the  principal  arguments  whereby  some 
had  attempted  to  justify  the  infliction  of  eternal  torments, 
and  was  fareful  to  show  that  none  of  them  did  in  reality 
answer  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  urged,  but  that 
they  left  the  subject  liable  still  to  the  same  objections.  By 
this  procedure,  he  deprived  the  advocates  of  endless  misery 
of  what  they  regarded  as  some  of  the  most  essential  sup- 
ports of  their  faith ;  and  having  done  this,  he  was  pre- 
pared, in  his  own  way,  to  reconcile  the  threat  of  endless 
punishment  with  the  justice  and  goodness  of  God.  For  it 
was  the  threat  only,  and  not  the  actual  infliction  of  such  a 
punishment,  that  he  professed  to  reconcile  with  the  Divine 
attributes. 

He  showed  that  the  penalty  threatened  is  not  to  be 
measured  by  the  degree  or  duration  of  the  offence,  but  by 
the  ends  and  purposes  of  government ;  and  the  object  of 
all  good  governments  is  not  the  infliction  of  the  penalty, 
but  by  the  threat  of  it,  to  deter  men  from  sin,  and  thereby 
prevent  their  suffering  it.  His  system  was  based  upon  the 
false  supposition,  that  men's  fears  of  a  punishment,  and  the 
good  effect  of  this  fear  upon  their  hearts,  rise  in  proportion 
to  the   greatness   of  the    penalty   with   which    they   are 


178  MODEEN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  IV. 

threatened  ;  but  this  all  history  has  proved  erroneous. 
"Whoever  considers,"  said  he,  "how  iueflfectual  the 
threatening  even  of  eternal  torments  is  to  the  greatest 
part  of  sinners,  will  soon  be  satisfied  that  a  less  penalty 
than  that  of  eternal  sufferings  would  to  the  far  greatest 
part  of  mankind,  have  been  in  all  probability  of  little  or  no 
force.  And  therefore,  if  anything  more  terrible  than  eter- 
nal vengeance  could  have  been  threatened  to  the  workers 
of  iniquity,  it  had  not  been  unreasonable,  because  it  would 
have  been  little  enough  to  deter  men  efiectually  from  sin." 
In  this  view,  when  we  break  the  laws  of  God,  we  fall  into 
his  hands,  lie  at  his  mercy,  and  he  can  inflict  on  us  any 
punishment  he  chooseth  ;  but  the  mighty  sinner  may  be 
mightily  punished  by  the  degree  and  intenseness  of  his 
suflfei'ings,  without  any  regard  to  their  duration.  For  in 
threatening,  to  secure  his  law  from  violation,  God  may 
denounce  any  penalty,  since  the  design  in  so  doing  is 
benevolent. 

Secondly,  the  threat  of  endless  punishment  was  shown  to 
be  consistent  with  divine  justice,  because  "  after  all,  he 
that  threatens  hath  still  the  power  of  execution  in  his  own 
hands.  For  there  is  this  remarkable  difference  between 
promises  and  threatenings,  that  he  who  promiseth  passeth 
over  a  right  to  another,  and  therefore  stands  obliged  to 
him  in  justice  and  faithfulness  to  fulfil  his  promise  ;  and  if 
he  do  not,  the  party  to  whom  the  promise  is  made  is  not 
only  disappointed,  but  injuriously  dealt  withal.  But  in 
threatenings  it  is  quite  otherwise.  He  that  threatens 
keeps  the  right  of  punishing  in  his  own  hand,  and  is  not 
obliged  to  execute  what  he  hath  threatened  any  further 
than  the  reasons  and  ends  of  government  do  require  ;  and 
he  may  without  any  injury  to  the  party  threatened,  remit 
and  abate  as  much  as  he  pleaseth  of  the  punishment 
threatened  ;  and  because  that  in  so  doing  he  is  not  worse 
but  better  than  his  word,  nobody  can  find  fault  or  complain 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  179 

of  any  wrong  or  injustice  thereby  done  to  him."  Herein 
it  is  perfectly  evident,  that  it  is  the  threat  and  not  the  in- 
fliction of  endless  punishment,  that  Dr.  Tillotson  reconciled 
with  the  justice  of  God. 

But  how  did  he  defend  the  veracity  of  God  ?  Just  as 
any  divine  will  defend  it  in  regard  to  the  threatened  over- 
throw of  Nineveh,  which  God  was  pleased  not  to  execute. 
Hath  not  God  sworn,  however,  that  sinners  shall  not  enter 
his  rest  ?  and  is  not  his  oath  immutable  ?  It  is  so  far  as 
the  threatening  extends  ;  and  herein  the  Dr.  condemns 
Origen  who  held  that  wicked  men  and  devils  would  actually 
enter  heaven.  While  the  former  mercifully  screened  the 
wicked  from  the  infliction  of  endless  suffering,  he  did  not 
say,  with  the  latter,  they  should  be  admitted  to  bliss  with 
the  righteous,  nor  did  he  believe  in  their  annihilation  ;  but 
he  seems  to  have  left  them,  as  did  Episcopius  from  whom 
he  formed  his  sentiments, *  in  a  middle  condition  between 
suffering  and  extatic  bliss ;  they  are  not  to  be  punished 
eternally,  nor  are  they  to  be  raised  to  the  full  glory  of  sal- 
vation. 

Thirdly,  "  we  may  consider  further,"  said  the  Dr.  "that 
the  primary  end  of  all  threatenings  is  not  punishment,  but 
the  prevention  of  it.  For  God  does  not  threaten  that  men 
may  sin  and  be  punished,  but  that  they  may  not  sin,  and 
so  may  escape  the  punishment  threatened.  And  therefore, 
the  higher  the  threatening  runs,  so  much  the  more  mercy 
and  goodness  there  is  in  it ;  because  it  is  so  much  the  more 
likely  to  hinder  men  from  incurring  the  penalty  that  is 
threatened." 

Thus,  on  the  Dr.'s  scheme,  prudence  i-equires  that  men 
believe  in  absolutely  endless  punishment,  since  his  whole 
design  is  thwarted  if  men  should  obtain  the  slightest  in- 
timation of  the  doctrine  he  maintained  ;  and  he  really 
betrays  great  inconsistency  when  he  exhorts  the  people  to 

*  His  Life  by  Thomas  Birch. 


180  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

whom  he  had  preached  this  sermon,  to  fear  endless  pun- 
ishment, just  as  they  would  did  they  know  it  would  be 
executed. 

Some  persons  may  find  a  little  diflSculty  in  securing  Dr. 
Tillotson  from  the  charge  of  insincerity,  in  the  design  of 
this  discourse.  He  did  not  mean  to  leave  the  impression 
that  eternal  punishment  which  is  threatened  will  ever  be 
executed  ;  he  secured  the  divine  justice  only  by  providing 
that  mankind  shall  escape  it.  Why,  then,  did  he  give  his 
sermon  such  a  form,  and  appear  ostensibly  to  defend  a 
doctrine  which  he  did  not  believe?^  "As  for  God,"  he 
says,  "  let  us  not  doubt  but  that  he  will  take  care  of  his 
own  honor,  and  that  he  who  is  holy  in  all  his  ways,  and 
righteous  in  all  his  works,  will  do  nothing  that  is  repug- 
nant to  his  eternal  goodness  and  righteousness  ;  and  that 
be  will  certainly  so  manage  things  at  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day,  as  to  be  justified  in  his  sayings,  and  to  be 
righteous  when  we  are  judged.  For  notwithstanding  his 
threatenings,  he  hath  reserved  power  enough  in  his  own 
hands  to  do  right  to  all  his  perfections,  so  that  we  may 
rest  assured  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  and 
if  it  be  any  wise  inconsistent  either  with  righteousness  or 
goodness,  which  he  knows  much  better  than  we  do,  to 
make  sinners  miserable  forever,  that  he  ivill  not  do  it ;  nor  is 
it  creditable  that  he  would  threaten  sinners  with  a  punish- 
ment which  he  could  not  execute  upon  them."  But  the 
question  is  not  whether  God  can,  but  whether  he  will  exe- 
cute eternal  suffering.  The  Dr.  said  he  will  not,  if  it  is 
inconsistent  either  with  his  justice  or  righteousness  ;  and 
if  it  be  not,  why  did  he  provide  a  way  to  screen  the  divine 
attributes   from  imputation  ?     There    can  be  no  question, 


»  Perhaps  he  would  have  justified  himself  in  this  course,  by  believing  he 
could  do  much  more  good,  in  this  way,  than  if  he  had  opposed,  in  a  more 
direct  manner,  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery.  By  his  method,  it  is  possi- 
ble that  he  found  access  to  a  far  greater  number  of  minds.  His  charac- 
ter must  forever  secure  him  against  the  charge  of  wicked  hypocrisy. 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVERSALTSM   IN   ENGLAND.  181 

that  the  whole  bearing  of  this  discourse  is  against  the 
iufliction  of  endless  torments  ;  nor  have  we  learned  that 
the  Dr.,  during  all  the  reproach  which  it  drew  upon  him, 
ever  denied  the  conclusion  which  has  now  been  deduced 
from  it/ 

OPPOSED    BY    DRS.    HICKS,    ■WHITBY,    AND    LUPTON. 

VII.  [A.  D.  1105.]  The  sermon  was  printed  soon  after 
delivery,  and  its  author  quickly  learned  the  effect  it  pro- 
duced on  the  minds  both  of  his  friends  and  enemies.  A 
story  was  immediately  circulated  that  he  had  denied  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misery  by  way  of  consolation  to  the 
Queen,  then  under  the  horrors  of  despair  on  account  of  her 
behavior  to  her  father,''  a  circumstance  which,  whether 
true  or  false,  very  clearly  shows  the  impression  the  sermon 
made  concerning  his  sentiments.  The  celebrated  Dr.  George 
Hicks  assaulted  him  furiously  in  several  sermons,*  (Dr. 
Hicks  wrote  only  pamphlets),  representing  the  discourse 
as  a  wretched  performance,  and  calling  on  the  Convocation 
to  censure  it,  alleging  that  it  was  a  matter  of  triumph  to 
Atheists,  Deists  and  Socinians.  There  is  no  question  that 
he  was  a  man  of  talent ;  but  probably  his  spite  against  Til- 
lotson  may  have  influenced  him  somewhat  in  this  matter. 
Under  Charles  II.  he  was  raised  from  one  post  to  another, 
until  at  last  he  was  designed  for  the  Bishoprick  of  Bristol, 
which  he  failed  to  receive  on  account  of  the  death  of  the 
King.  His  resolute  opposition  to  popery  was  the  bar  to 
his  advancement  under  James  II. ;  and  in  consequence  of 
refusing  to  take  the  oaths  of  allegiance  under  William  and 

1  When  the  celebrated  Whitefield  was  in  this  country,  he  held  it  very 
doubtful  whether  Tillotson  could  be  saved,  on  account  of  the  laxity  of  his 
faith.  Talking  one  day  on  this  point  with  one  of  the  tutors  of  Harvard 
College,  he  asked  the  tutor,  "do  you,  sir,  really  believe  Archbishop  Til- 
lotson will  go  to  heaven  ?  "  To  which  the  tutor  is  said  to  have  replied,  "  I 
think  it  very  doubtful,  Mr.Whitefield,  whether  you  ever  will  meet  him  there. ' ' 

^  Birch's  Life  of  Tillotson. 

3  Some  Discourses,  pp.  44-47.  See  Whitby's  Commentary,  folio  edition 
of  London,  1727,  vol.  ii.  pp.  477-487. 


182  MODERN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         C^cok  IV. 

Mary,  he  was  ejected  from  all  his  emoluments.  It  would 
not  be  surprising  to  learn  he  felt  envious  towards  those 
who  were  elevated  to  high  places  in  the  Church  ;  and  the 
Archbishop,  mild  and  humble  though  he  was,  would  of 
course  be  a  conspicuous  mark  for  the  shafts  of  ill-nature. 
Dr.  Whitby,  likewise,  inserted  in  his  Commentary  on  the 
New  Testament  (published  not  long  after)  an  Appendix  to 
the  first  chapter  of  the  second  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians, 
in  which  he  endeavored  to  refute  the  arguments  which  the 
Archbishop  had  used.  He  does  not  call  the  latter  by  name, 
but  he  styles  him  a  "  very  great  and  learned  person  ;  "  and 
he  makes  large  quotations  from  the  sermon,  in  the  precise 
language  of  it,  and  attempts  to  show  that  its  positions  are 
not  sound,  and  that  God  hath  hot  merely  threatened  endless 
misery  upon  sinners,  but  that  he  will  actually  execute  it. 
The  spirit  of  Dr.  Whitby  was  the  opposite  of  that  of  Dr. 
Hicks.  But  Mr.  (afterwards  Dr.)  Lupton,  in  a  discourse 
preached  before  the  University  at  Oxford,  in  1'706,  attacked 
the  Archbishop's  arguments  with  considerable  aci'imony, 
Says  a  writer  of  that  time,  "  He  falls  in  a  most  violent  man- 
ner upon  the  great  and  good  Archbishop,  on  account  of  his 
sermon  on  the  eternity  of  hell  torments.  In  this  invective 
the  young  author  (for  I  cannot  think  him  very  old,  either 
by  the  force  of  his  arguments,  or  the  candor  of  his  manage- 
ment of  them),  expresses  a  great  deal  of  warmth  against  the 
Archbishop  ;  and  if  hard  words  and  malicious  insinuations, 
a  confidence  of  asserting,  and  an  assuming  air  throughout, 
are  proofs  of  a  good  cause,  and  the  better  of  the  argument, 
Mr.  Lupton  has  obtained  the  victory  over  Archbishop  Tillot- 
son ;  but  if  these  ai*e  only  the  visible  effects  of  a  vain  opin- 
ion of  himself,  we  never  had  a  more  precise  pillar  of  vanity 
and  affectation."  ^  Again  this  biographer  of  Tillotson  con- 
tinues :     "This  author's  arguments  are  indeed  all  a  mere 

*  See  the  Supplement  to  Swinden's  Inquiry  into  the  nature  and  place 
of  Hell,  London,  1727,  p.  AiVl.  The  extract  is  from  a  Life  of  Tillotson, 
printed  in  fulio  to  bind  up  with  his  works,  by  H  Caryl,  in  the  Strand. 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  183 

beging  the  question,  in  taking  that  for  granted  which  wants 
chiefly  to  be  proved.  If  he  had  thought  the  Archbishop  had 
weakened,  or  gone  against  any  doctrine  of  the  Scripture, 
he  ought  first  to  have  fixed  his  sense  of  the  texts  on  which 
he  built  his  doctrine.  For  example,  he  ought  particularly 
to  have  shown  that  the  Scripture  was  to  be  taken  literally 
here,  though  not  in  other  places,  and  given  irrefragable  argu- 
ments to  prove  why  it  should  he  so.  He  should  have  shown 
tha,t  forever  —  everlasting,  &c.,  in  the  Scripture  sense,  were 
always  understood  as  we  use  them  now,  or  as  he  does,  of 
something  that  never  can  or  ivill  have  an  ertd.  One  genera- 
tion Cometh,  and  another  goeth,  but  the  earth  endureth  for 
ever,  is  a  text  in  Scripture,  and  jet  I  believe  this  gentle- 
man will  not  contend  that  there  will  be  no  end  of  the  earth, 
and  still  tell  us  he  believes  the  Bible.  It  being  notorious, 
that  as  the  Scriptures  often,  by  all  the  earth,  only  means  the 
landof  Judah,  or  of  Israel;  so  those  terms  oi  forever,  al- 
ways, and  everlasting,  are  frequently  made  use  of  to  express 
a  long  duration  of  time,  which  yet  will  have  an  end. 

He  should,  therefore,  have  cleared  this  point  in  the  first 
place,  and  evidently  have  shown  why  those  words  should 
bear  in  this  case  a  diiferent  sense." 

We  shall  say  no  more  of  Mr.  Lupton,  after  what  this  gen- 
tleman has  urged  in  behalf  of  the  good  Archbishop,  but 
leave  him  ;  entirely  acquiescing  in  his  own  sentiments  of 
his  sermon,  That  it  is  not  equal  to  the  great  weight  and  diffi- 
culty of  the  argument.'^ 

IT    WAS    DEFENDED    BY    LE    CLERC    AND    KETTLEWELL. 

VIII.  But  the  Archbishop's  sermon  found  friends,  as  well 
as  enemies.  Mr.  John  Kettlewell,  an  opponent  of  Tillot- 
son's  political  policy,  who  had  been  a  P'ellow  of  Lincoln 
College,  in  Oxford,  and  who  was,  until  the  Revolution,  Vicar 

'  "  Mr.  Lupton's  dedication  of  his  sermon  to  Dr.  Adams.'*  See  Swin- 
den's  Inquiry,  as  before  quoted,  pp.  464-466. 


184  MODERN    HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.  Book  IV. 

of  Coleshill,  in  Warwichshire,  was  induced  by  the  argu- 
ments of  the  sermon  to  make  some  additions  to  his  "Prac- 
tical Believer,"  just  published,  in  1668.  It  was  in  that  part 
which  treated  of  the  first  and  last  article  of  the  Creed,  the 
one  concerning  the  proportion  between  sin  and  punishment, 
and  the  o^ier  in  relation  to  the  dispensing  power  of  God  as 
to  punishiMnts.^  But  Mr.  Kettlewell  was  not  the  most  em- 
inent approver  of  the  Archbishop's  arguments.  That  cele- 
brated scholar  and  divine,  John  Le  Clerc,  published  an 
elaborate  article  upon  the  subject.  He  was  aware  of  the 
effect  which  the  doctrine  of  endless  torments  had  exerted, 
in  leading  men,  who  supposed  it  to  be  taught  in  the  Bible, 
to  reject  revealed  religion  altogether.  He  sought  to  coun- 
teract that  effect,  in  an  article  that  appeared  in  the  "  Bib- 
liotheque  Choisie,"  a  work  which  he  edited  from  1T03  to 
1713,  and  which  consisted  of  128  volumes,  12mo.  The  ar- 
ticle was  translated  from  the  French,  by  Dr.  Desaguliers. 
We  make  the  following  extracts  : 

"  We  are  obliged  to  declare,  that  if  any  one  can't  persuade  himself  that 
eternal  punishments  are  just,  he  had  better  look  upon  what  the  Gospel 
says  of  them  as  threats,  or  Comminatory  Punishments  (as  the  expression 
is)  than  to  reject  the  whole  Gospel  upon  that  account.  It  is  better  in  such 
a  case  to  be  an  Origenist  than  an  unbeliever;  that  is,  to  disbelieve  the 
eternity  of  the  torments  out  of  regard  to  God's  justice  and  goodness,  and 
obey  the  Gospel  in  every  thing  else  ;  than  wholly  to  reject  revelation,  im- 
agining that  it  contains  something  contrary  to  the  idea  which  itself  gives 
us  of  God,  and  which  is  conformable  to  the  light  of  nature.  Mr.  Cainp- 
huysen,a  person  famous  in  Holland  upon  account  of  several  pieces  of  poe- 
try, has  publicly  declared  that  he  had  been  tempted  to  reject  the  Christian 
religion  altogether,  whilst  he  believed  that  it  taught  the  eternity  of  tor- 
ments; and  that  he  never  overcame  those  temptations,  till  he  found  that 
the  threats  of  the  Gospel  might  be  taken  in  another  sense.  It  was  for  pro- 
moting the  salvation  of  such  doubting  men,  that  Archbishop  Tillotson 
spoke  as  he  did." 

Again,  Le  Clerc  says,  pp.  438-441  : 

"  Nothing  can  be  more  absurd  than  wholly  to  deny  hell  torments,  to  de- 

»  See  Life  of  Mr.  Kettlewell,  p.  163,  and  Life  of  Tillotson,  by  Thomas 
Birch. 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  185 

fend  divine  goodness.  An  Origenist  by  supposing  them  finite,  easily  re- 
moves all  difficulties.  He  finds  in  God  the  following  tokens  of  goodness  as 
must  truly  be  infinite.  Namely:  First,  that  God  has  created  men  to  be 
kind  to  them,  out  of  pure  goodness;  for  having  no  being,  we  had  not  done 
any  thing  which  could  bring  on  us  the  effects  of  his  kindness.  Secondly, 
He  has  given  them  a  thousand  excellent  qualities,  as  appears  by  the  inven- 
tion of  the  arts  and  sciences,  both  speculative  and  practical.  Tliirdly,  He 
has  encompassed  them  with  a  numberless  quantity  of  sensible  benefits  or 
blessings  that  affect  their  senses,  which  are  enjoyed  with  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure,  and  tend  much  to  their  advantage,  if  they  are  used  moderately  : 
And  as  for  life,  all  men  love  it,  except  a  few  melancholy  people.  Fourthly, 
He  has  shown  them  by  reason  and  revelation,  the  things  which  were  neces- 
sary to  be  known  in  order  to  their  obtaining  happiness  (by  their  obedience 
to  Him)  both  in  this  life  and  after  death.  Fifthly,  The  commands  which 
he  has  laid  on  them  are  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  cannot  but  be  happy 
in  observing  them;  since  they  all  promote  the  good  of  human  nature,  and 
all  men  reap  an  advantage  from  them ;  for  they  can  bestow  nothing  on  the 
Almighty,  who  has  no  more  need  of  them  after  once  he  has  ci'eated  them, 
than  he  had  in  the  duration  without  end,  which  preceded  the  creation  of 
the  world.  Sixthly,  God's  commands  are  easy  to  be  observed,  if  we  will 
conform  ourselves  to  right  reason ;  and  nothing  can  make  them  difficult 
but  a  contrary  habit.  Seventhly,  Such  an  habit  may  be  overcome,  and  if 
we  fall,  God  is  not  implacable;  he  will  be  satisfied  if  we  do  but  rise  again. 
Eighthly,  He  immediately  gives  eternal  happiness  to  those  that  have  re- 
pented, and  punishes  the  impenitent  with  moderate  torments,  before  He 
lets  them  enter  in  possession  of  that  said  eternal  happiness,  which  shows 
that  He  has  created  man  with  a  design  to  make  him  hapjDy ;  which  if  man 
has  not  been  at  first,  is  only  through  his  own  fault. 

Nothing  can  be  objected  against  this  but  the  inconveniences  which  are 
annexed  to  an  intelligent  nature,  which  is  liable  to  change,  and  which  God 
was  not  willing  to  prevent;  because  He  looked  upon  them  as  nothing  in 
comparison  of  the  good  which  He  has  resolved  to  bless  mankind  with. ' '  * 

SIR    WM.   DAWES  WRITES    IN    DEFENCE    OF    ENDLESS  TORMENTS,   AND 
THE    WORKS    OF    DREXELIUS    AND    SWINDEN  ARE  PUBLISHED. 

IX.  [1*70*1.]  Besides  the  works  mentioned  in  the  seventh 
section  of  this  chapter,  there  were  others  issued  in  defence 
of  the  doctrine  of  endless  torments,  which  it  is  probable 
were  brought  forward  to  counteract  the  influence  of  Arch- 

*  We  find  these  extracts  from  Le  Clerc's  article  in  the  work  of  Swinden, 
before  mentioned,  Supplement,  pp.  411,  412,  438-441.  See,  also,  Bibli- 
otheque  Choisie,  Tome  vii..  Art.  viii.,  p.  292  et  seq. 

16* 


186  MODERN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

bishop  Tillotson's  arguments.  Among  these,  we  may 
mention  a  series  of  sermons  by  Sir  William  Dawes,  Bart. 
who  to  other  titles  added  that  of  D.  D.  The  sermons  were 
preached  before  King  William  and  Queen  Anne,  on  several 
occasions,  Sir  William  being  chaplain  in  ordinary  to  her 
Majesty.  The  subjects  of  these  discourses  were,  1st, 
"  The  pains  and  terrors  of  a  wounded  conscience,"  Prov. 
xviii.  14;  2d,  "The  certainty  of  hell  torments  from  the 
principles  of  nature  and  reason,"  Matt.  xxv.  41  ;  3d,  "The 
greatness  of  hell  torments,  same  text ;  5th,  6th  and  7th, 
"  The  eternity  of  hell  torments  proved  from  Scripture  and 
reason  ;  its  true  meaning  stated,  and  the  objections  against 
it  answered."  We  can  have  little  doubt  that  these  ser- 
mons were  designed  as  an  answer  to  the  one  preached  by 
Archbishop  Tillotson.*  A  few  years  afterward,  viz.,  in 
1710  there  appeared,  in  London,  an  English  edition  of  the 
work  of  Drexelius  upon  Eternity,  translated  from  the  Latin 
and  republished  by  Rev.  S.  Dunster,  A.  M.  Jeremiah 
Drexelius  was  a  Jesuit  of  Augsburg,  who  died  at  Munich, 
in  1638,  at  the  age  of  57.  His  works  were  published  at 
Antwerp,  io  two  volumes,  folio.  He  wrote  a  curious  poem 
on  hell  torments,  in  which  he  calculated  how  many  souls 
can  be  contained  in  a  narrow  space  in  those  dreadful 
regions.*  A  man  given  up  so  much  to  fancy,  could  hardly 
produce  a  very  valuable  work  upon  eternity.  In  1714, 
Tobias  Swinden,  an  English  divine,  and  for  some  time 
rector  of  Cuxton,  in  Kent,  published  a  curious  inquiry  into 
the  nature  and  place  of  hell.  The  design  of  the  work  was 
to  show,  1st,  the  i-easonableness  of  a  future  state  ;  2d,  the 
punishments  of  the  next  life  ;  3d,  the  various  opinions  con- 
cerning the  place  of  hell ;  4th,  that  the  fire  of  hell  is  not 
metaphorical  but  real ;  5th,  the  improbability  of  that  fire 
being  in  or  about  the  center  of  the  earth  ;  6th,  the  proba- 

'  The  second  edition  of  these  Sermons  came  out  in  1707.     We  know  not 
at  what  time  the  first  edition  appeared. 

^  See  Lempriere's  Biugraphica.1  Dictionary. 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  187 

bility  of  the  sun's  being  the  local  hell,  with  reasons  for 
this  conjecture,  and  the  objections  from  atheism,  philoso- 
phy and  the  Holy  Scriptures  answered.  A  second  edition 
of  this  work  appeared  in  1H7,  with  a  supplement,  wherein 
the  notions  of  Archbishop  Tillotson,  Dr.  Lupton  and  others, 
as  to  the  eternity  of  hell  torments  are  impartially  consid- 
ered. Mr.  Swiuden  placed  Tartarus  in  the  very  sun  ;  and 
the  work  is  illustrated  with  a  plate,  showing  the  body  of 
the  sun,  covered  with  mountains  and  valleys  of  fire.  Such 
a  conceit  cannot  be  considered  worthy  of  the  slightest 
credit.  The  supplement  to  which  we  have  referred  was 
probably  written  by  some  other  hand.  It  is  designed  to 
abate  the  rigor  of  the  book  ;  and  was  evidently  intended 
as  a  defence  of  the  ground  taken  by  Archbishop  Tillotson 
in  respect  to  endless  punishment.  It  was  principally  ex- 
tracted from  Le  Clerc.  After  giving  Le  Clerc's  and  Tillot- 
son's  arguments,  the  author  of  the  supplement  proceeds  to 
give  Mr.  Lupton's  arguments  against  the  Archbishop's 
Sermon,  and  the  defence  of  the  latter  against  those  argu- 
ments by  his  biographer. 


DR.    THOMAS    BURNET. 

X.  [I*r20.]  Congenial  in  faith  and  feeling  with  the  re- 
nowned and  excellent  primate  Tillotson,  was  Dr.  Thomas 
Burnet,  who  had  been  pupil  of  the  former  at  Clare-hall,  in 
Cambridge.  Dr.  Burnet  manifested,  in  his  youth,  extraor- 
dinary powers  of  mind,  so  that  he  early  obtained  the  friend- 
ship of  several  influential  individuals.  In  1654,  he  removed 
to  Christ's  College  ;  in  1657,  became  Fellow  ;  and  in  1661, 
was  made  Proctor  of  the  University.  Afterwards  he  was 
governor  to  Charles,  Duke  of  Bolton,  and  to  James,  Earl 
of  Ossory,  and  grandson  to  James,  the  first  Duke  of  Or- 
mand  ;  and  by  the  interest  of  that  Duke,  and  other  noble 
friends,  he   was   chosen,  in    1685,  Master   of  the  Charter 


188  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IV. 

House.  Introduced  at  Court  by  Tillotson,  he  became  his 
successor  as  Clerk  of  the  Closet  to  King  William.  His 
reputation  in  the  learned  world,  was  very  great,  and  had 
been  principally  gained  by  his  Telluris  Theoria  Sacra,  print- 
ed at  London,  in  1681.  It  was  written  at  first  in  Latin, 
but  at  the  recommendation  of  Charles  II.  he  translated  it 
into  English  ;  and  although  writers  of  the  greatest  abilities 
have  pronounced  it  a  system  built  on  wrong  data,  yet  it 
has  been  universally  admired  for  its  uncommon  beauties, 
its  elegant  diction  and  interesting  details.  He  was  once 
thought  of  for  the  Archbishoprick  of  Canterbury  ;  but 
exceptions  being  taken  at  the  freedom  he  had  used  in 
explaining  the  account  of  the  Fall,  and  at  his  imaginary 
dialogue  between  Eve  and  the  Serpent,  which  he  had  pub- 
lished in  one  of  his  works,  he  was  not  only  dropped  as  a 
candidate  for  that  high  oflSce,  but  removed  from  his  station 
as  Clerk  of  the  Closet.  Banished  from  royal  favor,  and 
regardless  of  the  frowns  of  the  world,  he  retired  to  the 
Charter  House,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  a  very  long 
life,  in  the  quietness  of  literary  pursuits,  when,  it  is  proba- 
ble, he  composed  his  posthumous  works.  He  gave  one 
instance  of  real  independence  of  mind,  by  refusing  to  obey 
the  command  of  King  James  II.  and  admit,  by  royal  dis- 
pensation, a  person  pensioner  of  the  Charter  House,  who 
had  not  taken  the  customary  oaths  ;  and  as  he  and  the 
other  governors  persisted  in  maintaining  the  ground  they 
had  taken,  the  King  withdrew,  and  pressed  the  matter  no 
further.^ 

Macauley,  in  his  late  History  of  England,  says,  "  While 
Oxford  was  opposing  a  firm  resistance  to  tyranny,  a  stand 
not  less  resolute  was  made  in  another  quarter.  James  had, 
some  time  before,  commanded  the  Trustees  of  the  Charter 
House,  men  of  the  first  rank  and  consideration  in  the  king- 


»  For  the  life  of  Burnet,  see  Dr   Birch's  Life  of  Tillotson,  all  the  prin- 
cipal Biographical  Dictionaries,  and  the  Biograph.  Britan. 


A.  D.  1700.1  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  189 

dom,  to  admit  a  Roman  Catholic,  named  Popham,  into  the 
hospital  which  was  under  their  care.  The  master  of  the 
house,  ThcJmas  Burnet,  a  clergyman  of  eminent  genius, 
learning  and  virtue,  had  the  courage  to  represent  to  them, 
though  the  ferocious  Jeffreys  sat  at  the  board,  that  what 
was  required  of  them  was  contrary  both  to  the  will  of  the 
founder  and  to  an  act  of  Parliament.  "  What  is  that  to 
the  purpose  ?  "  said  a  courtier,  who  was  one  of  the  gov- 
ernors. "  It  is  very  much  to  the  purpose  I  think,"  an- 
swered a  voice,  feeble  with  age  and  sorrow,  yet  not  to  be 
heard  without  respect  by  any  assembly,  the  voice  of  the 
venerable  Ormond.  "  An  act  of  Parliament,"  continued 
the  Patriarch  of  the  Cavalier  party,  "  is,  in  my  judgment, 
no  light  thing."  The  question  was  put  whether  Popham 
should  be  admitted,  and  it  was  determined  to  reject  him. 
The  chancellor  who  could  not  well  ease  himself  by  cursing 
and  swearing  at  Ormond,  flung  away  in  a  rage,  and  was 
followed  by  some  of  the  minority.  The  consequence  was 
that  there  was  not  a  quorum  left,  and  that  no  formal  reply 
could  be  made  to  the  royal  mandate.* 

DE    STATU    MORTUOKUM HIS    "WORK. 

XI.  The  work  which  principally  demands  our  attention, 
is  entitled  De  Statu  Mortuorum,  et  Resur gentium.''  It  was 
not  published  until  after  the  author's  death  ;  though  he 
caused  two  or  three  copies  to  be  printed  that  they  might 
pass  the  judgment  of  his  friends,  and  thus  his  thoughts 
come  forth  amended  by  their  criticisms.  But  he  was 
advised  to  keep  the  dissertation  to  himself,  and  not  permit 
his  sentiments  to  be  known. 

*  The  History  of  England  from  the  Accession  of  James  IT.  By  Thomas 
Babington  Macaulay:  New  York,  Harper  and  Brothers,  8vo.  vol.  ii.  269, 
270 

^Literally,  "  Of  the  State  of  the  Dead,  and  of  the  Raised."  The  work  ia 
usually  called,  "  Burnet  on  the  State  of  the  Dead."  The  title  of  the  Eng- 
lish edition  of  1733  is,  "A  Treatise  concerning  the  State  of  Departed 
Souls,  before,  and  at,  and  after  the  Resurrection." 

/ 


190  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

Dr.  Burnet  begins  with  tlie  fact  that  man  is  composed 
of  two  parts,  soul  and  body  ;  and  since  the  body  dies,  in  a 
bi'ief  season  after  its  birth,  we  ought  to  inquire  whether  the 
soul  perishes  with  the  body,  or  whether  it  shall  enjoy  a 
separate  life  and  vigor.  If  the  latter,  what  sort  of  life  shall 
it  enjoy  ?  what  sort  of  state  ?  Is  it  to  remain  the  same  for 
ever  ?  If  it  shall  undergo  another  change,  is  it  to  inhabit 
a  second  body  of  any  kind  ?  What  distinction  is  to  be 
made  between  those  that  have  been  good  and  those  that 
have  been  evil  ?  What  sort  of  rewards,  what  punishments 
will  be  distributed  to  every  one  according  to  his  merits  ? 
What  shall  be  the  fate  and  the  fortune  of  the  immortal  soul, 
from  its  departure  and  deliverance  from  the  earthly  body, 
even  to  the  consummation  of  all  things  ?  Such  is  the  plan 
of  Dr.  Burnet's  work,  which  was  very  appropriately  enti- 
tled "  De  Statu  Mortuorum  et  Resur gentium.'^ 

In  the  execution  of  his  plan  he  shows  that  men  are  to 
expect  a  future  state.  His  arguments  in  favor  of  that  great 
fact,  are  stated  with  a  force  and  precision  seldom  equalled. 
He  held  that  the  human  soul  is  an  immortal  substance,  dis- 
tinct from  the  body,  and  from  all  matter.  He  did  not  be- 
lieve that  men  will  any  of  them  enter  into  their  final  states 
at  death  ;  but  that  the  righteous  will  enjoy  an  inferior  de- 
gree of  happiness,  and  the  wicked  will  suffer  in  hades,  but 
not  the  full  measure  of  their  deserts,  until  the  resurrection  ; 
that  it  is  more  probable  that  until  that  event  the  soul  will 
remain  in  a  separate  state,  than  that  it  will  be  vested  in  a 
body.  Yet,  after  all,  he  said,  this  is  to  be  numbered  among 
things  obscure,  or  not  expressly  revealed.  He  then  pro- 
ceeds to  consider  the  resurrection  and  the  final  judgment. 
Christ  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  ;  the  earth  and  all 
that  is  therein  shall  be  burned  up  ;  and  the  final  judgment 
shall  take  place.  He  applies  to  that  event  the  prophecy  of 
Christ  concerning  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  although 
he  thought  the  latter  event  was  set  forth  as  a  type  of  the 
destruction  of  the  world.     The  last  judgment,  in  his  view. 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  191 

would  be  held  with  great  pomp  and  splendor  ;  after  which, 
human  souls  would  undergo  a  purgation,  — a  purification 
by  fire,  —  more  or  less  severe,  according  to  the  diiferent 
degrees  of  their  guilt.  He  sought  to  prove  this  by  the 
baptism  of  fire  mentioned  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  by  the 
words  of  Paul,  1  Cor.  iii.  13,  that  "  the  fire  should  try  ev- 
ery man's  work  of  what  sort  it  is  ;  "  and  if  it  shall  be 
burned,  still  the  man  himself  shall  be  saved,  yet  so  as  by 
fire.  He  shows  that  this  was  the  opinion  of  the  Fathers, 
and  among  others  Origen  ;  but  said  he,  "  we  ought  not  to 
fancy,  as  some  imagine,  that  this  opinion  concerning  this 
fiery  purgation  and  trial  is  peculiar  to  Origen,  when  it  was 
common  to  almost  all  the  Fathers  to  the  time  when  St. 
Austin  lived.?  (p.  163.)  He  adduces  the  testimonies  of 
Lactantius,  Hilary,  St.  Ambrose,  Basil  the  Great,  to  whom 
he  joins  both  the  Gregories,  (Of  Nyssen  and  Nazianzen). 
And  Jerome,  says  Dr.  Burnet,  "  is  accused  by  Rufinus  of 
being  a  secret  favorer  of  the  doctrines  of  Origen,  as  is  very 
well  known,  the  most  distinguished  of  which  is,  that  which 
puts  an  end  to  the  punishments  of  the  damned,  as  soon  as 
their  malice  is  purged  away."  (p.  168.)  Jerome,  how- 
ever, the  Dr.  thought,  "inclined  to  more  sides  than  one." 
He  aiBrraed  that  at  the  time  of  Austin,  (A.  D.  600,)  this 
opinion  of  the  Fathers,  concerning  the  purgation  by  fire, 
had  begun  to  decline,  and  was  finally  corrupted  into  the 
purgatory  of  the  Papal  Church.  He  aimed  to  restore  again 
the  opinions  of  the  Fathers  upon  this  subject ;  for  although 
modern  notions  might  bring  many  into  the  Church,  yet  men 
should  not  entertain  views  that  are  fantastical,  and  of 
which  no  good  account  can  be  given  ;  for  by  such  a  course 
we  drive  men  of  sense  away  ;  and  "  tis  next  to  stupidity  to 
drive  men  of  sense  away,  in  order  to  gain  fools." 

Dr.  Burnet  then  proceeds  to  treat  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  and  in  what  state  they  will  be  after  they  are  risen, 
and  what  sort  of  bodies  they  will  have  ;  what  sort  of  body 
we  are  to  have  at  the  resurrection  ?     He  treats,  also,  of  the 


192  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

first  and  last  resurrection  ;  of  the  new  heavens  and  the  new 
earth  ;  the  renovation  of  nature  :  of  the  millenial  kingdom 
of  Christ,  and  the  consummation  of  all  things.  But  on  none 
of  these  points  do  we  purpose  to  give  his  opinions  with  any 
greater  particularity. 

HIS    ARDENT    OPPOSITION   TO    THE    DOCTRINE    OF    ENDLESS    MISERY. 

XII.  We  come  then,  at  last,  to  describe  his  views  on  the 
subject  of  endless  punishment.  He  does  not  seem  to  have 
believed  in  a  local  hell ;  but  to  have  regarded  it  as  a  state, 
rather  than  a  place.  The  great  question,  before  which,  in 
his  sight,  all  others  touching  the  subject  dwindled  into 
insignificance,  was,  "  whether  those  punishments  are  to 
endure  eternally,  without  cessation,  without  relaxation, 
without  end  ?  Human  nature  abhors  the  very  name  of 
eternal  punishments,  which  sets  before  our  eyes  a  spectacle 
of  insatiable,  implacable  revenge  ;  and  this  for  no  manner 
of  profit  or  hopes  of  amendment."  *  Still,  he  allowed  that 
punishment  was  said  in  the  New  Testament  to  be  eternal ; 
but  we  must  explain  the  language  of  Christ  and  his  apostles 
reasonably.  There  are  invincible  objections  to  the  doctrine 
of  endless  misery.  The  Dr.  felt  those  objections  in  his  very 
heart.  He  was  no  cold  theorist.  Some  of  the  most  elo- 
quent passages  of  the  book,  are  those  in  which  he  gives 
vent  to  his  own  feelings  on  this  part  of  his  subject.  "  The 
soul  flies,"  said  he,  "  from  the  very  thought,  and  abhors  the 
remembrance  of  everlasting  misery ;  and  several  things 
have  occurred  to  me,  while  I  have  been  thinking  on  this 
subject,  by  which  I  am  sensible  that  others  have  been  per- 
suaded, as  well  as  myself,  that  God  neither  will,  nor  can 
endure  the  perpetual  afiliction  and  torment  of  his  own  crea- 
tures ;  nor  can  Nature  itself  endure  it.  Then,  we  conceive 
the  God  of  the  Christians  to  be  the  best  and  wisest  of  Be- 
ings ;  that  he  is  neither  cruel  nor  unjust  to  the  race  of 

1  p.  342. 


A.  D.  1700.  UNIYERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  193 

men  ;  that  there  is  nothing-  barbarous  or  dismal  in  his  wor- 
ehip  ;  that  he  has  neither  instituted,  nor  sufifered  any  thing 
that  is  barbarous,  any  thing  that  is  inhuman  ;  no  blood,  or 
wounds,  or  tearing  of  the  skin  or  flesh  ;  nor  does  he  love, 
after  the  manner  of  Moloch,  to  embrace  living  infants  with 
his  arms  of  fire.  Besides,  Jesus  the  Head  and  the  Cap- 
tain of  the  Christian  dispensation,  to  whom  the  Father  has 
committed  all  judgment,  is  the  greatest  lover  of  human 
kind ;  and  suffered  his  own  blood  to  be  shed  to  redeem  us 
from  evil  and  misery.  This  King  and  merciful  Father,  and 
this  most  righteous  Judge,  govern  entirely  the  fates  of 
humankind  ;  and  yet  you  assert  that,  according  to  the  Sacred 
Scriptures,  the  greatest  part  of  humankind  will  be  damned 
to  eternal  punishments,  even  by  the  most  merciful  Father, 
by  this  most  righteous  Judge."     pp.  343,  344. 

Again,  he  says,  "  Concerning  the  number  of  those  who 
will  be  miserable  in  another  life,  I  have  nothing  to  say,  not 
being  able  to  know  any  thing  of  it :  but  that  God  should 
condemn  his  own  creatures  to  a  state  of  eternal  misery,  and 
should  retain  them  in  that  state,  seems  to  be  repugnant 
both  to  divine  wisdom  and  goodness,  and,  I  may  add  like- 
wise, to  justice  :  I  say  repugnant  to  wisdom  ;  for  a  state 
like  this,  of  everlasting  and  unchangeable  misery,  would  be 
in  vain,  and  of  no  use,  and  therefore  unwise  and  unworthy 
of  God  ;  for  a  torment  without  cessation,  and  without  end, 
can  neither  be  of  service  to  God,  nor  to  man.  Not  to  man 
most  certainly,  if  there  is  no  room  for  repentance,  and  he 
who  is  tormented  can  never  grow  better  ;  if  no  intermission, 
and  no  ease  is  allowed,  that  the  tormented  may  respire  a 
little,  and  deliberate  concerning  the  change  of  his  state 
and  his  mind.  Let  this  punishment  be  severe,  let  it  be 
bitter,  nay,  let  it  be  lasting,  but  let  it  at  length  have  an 
end  ;  it  can  otherwise  produce  no  fruit,  no,  not  the  least 
degree  of  it ;  nor  would  it  be  possible  for  these  miserable 
sinners  to  repent,  and  lead  better  lives,  if  amidst  the  pangs 

17 


194  MODEEN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IV. 

of  their  bodies  and  their  minds  they  should  happen  to  be 
born  again,"  pp.  344,  345. 

He  maintains  it  is  a  fair  presumption,  that  the  souls  of 
the  wicked  after  death  will  not  be  incurable.  How  can 
men  be  infidels  then,  for  Christ  will  be  present,  and  they 
must  see  him,  and  believe,  and  be  converted.  That  ten- 
dency to  evil  which  dwells  in  the  body,  will  not  then  afiect 
the  soul.  "  But  by  what  argument  will  you  pretend  to 
convince  me  that  the  souls  of  the  wicked  are  after  death 
incurable  ?  The  fathers  seem  not  to  have  believed  that, 
who  were  of  opinion,  that  the  last  would  be  a  purgative 
fire,  concerning  which  we  have  treated  in  the  sixth  chapter. 
Nor  does  it  seem  just  to  limit  the  divine  power  and  wisdom, 
and  to  oppress  it  with  an  evil  irresistible  destiny,  or  an 
incurable  disease  ;  for  whatever  this  distemper  of  souls 
may  be,  if  it  can  by  any  method,  or  any  medicine  be  driven 
out,  no  remedy  certainly  is  more  powerful,  or  more  effec- 
tual than  fire,  or  than  fiery  torments  ;  this  pain,  if  any, 
will  cause  them  to  be  touched  with  a  sense  of  their  former 
crimes,  and  to  grow  weary  of  their  present  misery.  Be- 
sides, in  that  other  life,  there  will  be  no  longer  room  for 
the  infidelity  of  the  wicked  :  '  When  they  shall  have  seen 
Christ  coming  in  the  clouds,  surrounded  with  glory,  and 
with  his  mighty  angels,  triumphing  everywhere  over  his 
enemies,  and  trampling  them  under  his  feet.'  And  then 
that  fomentation  of  evil,  which  dwells  in  this  body  and 
this  flesh,  will,  in  that  state,  be  extinguished  and  cease. 
There  will  be  no  internal  concupiscence,  no  external  nour- 
ishment of  vice,  nor  any  allurements  to  pleasure,  to  am- 
bition, or  avarice,  or  any  incitements  of  the  senses  or 
passions  to  wickedness.  For  my  pai't,  I  cannot  perceive 
by  what  argument,  true  or  false,  or  by  what  impulse,  in- 
ternal or  external,  they  can  be  moved  to  adhei'e  eternally 
to  their  vices  and  their  impiety,  unless  they  should  be 
hardened  by  God  himself."  pp.  346,  347. 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  195 

Dr.  Burnet  had  great  confidence  in  the  justice  and  equity 
of  God.  "The  man  whom  God  created,  he  said,  "liable 
to  fall,  him,  because  he  fell,  God  will  not  punish  eternally  ; 
nor  will  he  deprive  him,  to  whom  he  has  given  the  power, 
or  rather  the  impotence  and  the  liberty  of  falling,into  vice, 
of  the  power  and  liberty  of  relinquishing  that  vice.  But 
you  will  say,  perhaps,  that  God  does  not  deprive  the  wick- 
ed of  this  power  and  liberty,  but  it  proceeds  from  their 
own  will,  that  they  persist  in  evil  immoveable  and  inflexi- 
ble. I  answer,  that  according  to  your  hypothesis  God  has 
created  them  of  such  a  nature,  that  they  cannot  be  other- 
wise than  inflexible  and  irrecoverable,  after  they  have  once 
departed  this  life,  and  descended  into  their  torments. 
Grant  me  but  this,  that  those  miserable  creatures  are  capa- 
ble of  repenting,  and  we  will  not  throw  away  all  hope  of 
their  being  received  into  grace ;  but  you  deny  that  they 
can  repent ;  I  desire  that  you  would  prove  that  their 
repentance  is  impossible.  If  they  continue  to  be  reasona- 
ble creatures,  indued  with  understanding  and  will,  they  can 
repent ;  but  if  they  are  deprived  of  reason  and  liberty, 
they  can  no  longer  sin."  pp.  34T,  348. 

It  might  be  said,  in  justification  of  the  Almighty,  that 
he  is  merciful  in  inflicting  endless  punishments,  because  he 
might  even,  had  he  seen  fit,  have  annihilated  the  wicked, 
which  would  be  a  more  rigorous  sentence  still.  But  in  the 
sight  of  our  author  annihilation  would  be  vastly  preferable 
to  endless  torments.  "It  is  much  more  desirable  not  at 
all  to  be,  and  to  be  touched  by  no  sense,  either  of  good  or 
evil,  than  to  exist  in  perpetual  torments,-  without  intermis- 
sion, without  end.  This  seems  to  me  to  be  clear  by  the 
light  of  nature.  Let  me,  0  God,  return  into  nothing  ;  I 
am  weary  of  my  being ;  'tis  preferable  much  to  have  no 
sensation,  than  to  have  no  sensation  of  anything  but  pain. 
Take,  0  God,  says  the  miserable  creature,  deprived  almost 
by  tormenting  flames  of  reason,  take  away  what  is  thine  : 
I  had   rather  be  out  of  the  number  of  things ;  0  let  me 


196  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  TV. 

perish,  that  I  may  avoid  perdition.  This  is  the  voice  of 
nature  ;  nor  will  we  stop  to  make  any  answer  to  the  little 
subtleties  and  quirks  of  the  Metaphysicians.  I  appeal  to 
the  race  of  men,  and  to  all  men  of  sense  whatever,  if  'tis 
not  more  eligible  to  be  deprived  of  all  life,  of  all  cogitation, 
of  all  existence,  than  to  be  tormented  in  eternal  flames,  to 
groan  under  eternal  torments."  pp.  350,  351. 

Our  author  continued  to  reason  against  the  endless  dura- 
tion of  punishment  from  the  nature  of  God,  as  revealed  by 
nature  and  by  the  Bible.  He  shows,  too,  that  the  word 
aionios  and  other  terms  used  to  define  the  continuance  of 
punishments,  do  not  necessarily  signify  endless  duration. 
They  are  often  used  in  a  limited  sense  by  the  inspired 
writers.  He  gives  numerous  quotations  in  proof  of  this 
point ;  and  sums  up,  by  saying,  "  Therefore,  from  the  use 
and  force  of  the  aforesaid  words,  nothing  can  certainly  be 
determined  concerning  the  eternity  of  infernal  punish- 
ments." He  was  evidently  obliged  sometimes  to  encounter 
bigots,  with  fierce  and  cruel  tempers,  for  he  says,  "  I  know 
not  by  what  means  it  happens  at  present,  that  some  divines 
of  a  cruel  and  fiery  temper  are  extremely  pleased  with 
eternal  and  infinite  torments,  and  can  hardly  endure  to  have 
the  point  fairly  examined  and  debated  on  both  sides."  But 
the  ancients  handled  the  subject  much  more  gently  and 
modestly,  and  he  quotes  Justin  Martyr,  and  others,  who 
would  only  say,  that  the  wicked  should  be  punished  as 
long  as  God  should  will  them  to  be  punished.  St.  Augus- 
tin  did  not  stigmatize  the  believers  in  the  final  restoration 
of  all  men,  but  spoke  gently  of  them,  and  distinguished 
them  as  the  merciful  doctors.  "  Now  (says  that  father)  I 
see  that  I  must  go  to  work  with  our  merciful  doctors,  with 
whom  I  must  dispute  pacifically  ;  who  are  of  opinion,  that 
punishment  will  not  be  eternal,  either  of  all  those  whom 
the  most  righteous  judge  shall  pronounce  worthy  of  the 
punishment  of  hell,  or  of  some  of  them.  But  after  the 
limits  of  a  certain  time,  which  will  be  longer  or  shorter. 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVEESALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  197 

according  to  the  greatness  of  every  one's  offence,  they 
believe  that  every  one  will  be  delivered  from  it.' 

This  is  the  sum  of  the  arguments  he  offered  against  the 
eternity  of  future  punishment,  arguments  which  he  ex- 
pressed in  a  warm  and  animated  manner.  He  was  not  a 
cold  theorist,  he  uttered  the  language  of  his  heart ;  and  he 
predicted  that  the  time  will  come  when  endless  misery  and 
transubstantiation  will  be  regarded  as  equally  absurd. 

He  appears  to  have  entertained  the  opinion,  that  the 
doctrine  he  believed,  although  undoubtedly  true,  ought  not 
to  be  divulged  to  the  generality  of  mankind  ;  and  hence 
he  enjoins  what  he  calls  the  admonition  of  the  Fathers, 
"  that  whatever  you  think  in  your  own  breast  of  these 
eternal  torments,  the  people,  too  prone  to  vice,  and  as 
easily  terrified  from  evil,  must  have  the  commonly  received 
doctrine  ;  ""  and  he  adds,  "if  any  one  shall  translate  what 
has  been  said  by  learned  men  on  this  subject,  into  the 
vulgar  language,  they  can  have  no  good  scope  or  view- 
thereby."  ^  Readers  o-f  the  present  day,  will  be  astonish- 
ed at  such  advice  ;  and  will  feel  little  inclined  to  justify  a 
practice  based  on  the  fallacious  presumption,  that  error,  in 
its  effects  on  mankind,  is  better  than  truth.*  It  should  be 
observed,  however,  that  Burnet  thought  his  doctrine  might 
be  divulged  at  some  future  time. 

We  have  said  that  this  work  was  posthumous,  but  that 
a  few  copies  were  printed  for  the  use  of  the  author's  im- 
mediate friends  during  his  life.     One  of  them  being  found 

»  See  St.  Austin's  Civitate  Dii.lib.  xx.  chap.  17,  and  following.  Also 
De  Statu  Mortuorum,  pp.  36] ,  362. 

2  Edition  of  1733,  p.  366. 

3  Ibid,  367. 

4  The  celebrated  Dr.  Watts  found  fault  with  Burnet's  position.  After 
quotins  the  words  eiven  above  he  says,  "  So  that  if  this  were  a  true  doc- 
trine, yet  the  learned  author  agrees,  that  neither  the  holy  writers  of  the 
Bible,  nor  the  fathers  thinli  it  proper  that  the  bulk  of  the  people  should 
know  it.  But  if  it  sliouW  not  lie  translated,!  would  ask  why  did  the  author 
write  it  and  leave  it  to  be  published  ?  Did  he  suppose  all  men  and  boy3 
who  understood  Latin,  to  be  sufficiently  guarded  against  the  abuse  of  such 
an  opinion? "    Works,  quarto,  London,  1753,  vol.  i.  7r)0. 

11* 


198  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  TV. 

in  his  study  after  his  decease,  several  copies  more  were 
printed,  for  a  very  few  persons,^  as  it  was  thought  by 
learned  men  a  great  pity  that  so  elaborate  a  work  should 
be  entirely  lost.  But  the  greatest  care  was  taken  to  stop 
their  circulation  ;  and  whoever  had  the  liberty  of  having 
the  book  put  into  his  hands,  was  obliged  upon  honor  not 
to  have  it  transcribed,  nor  sent  to  the  press.  Notwith- 
standing all  this  precaution,  a  surreptitious  edition  was 
printed  in  Holland ;  on  which  Mr.  Wilkinson,  Burnet's 
friend,  in  whose  hands  were  the  original  manuscripts,  de- 
termined to  publish  a  correct  edition.^ 

WILLIAM    WHISTON. 

XIII.  [ino-ins.]  Equally  learned  with  Tillotson  and 
Burnet,  sincere,  and  ardent,  and  uncompromising,  was  the 
renowned  William  Whiston,  now  generally  known  as  the 
translator  of  Josephus.  He  succeeded  them  in  keeping 
the  public  attention  fixed  on  the  subject  of  endless  punish- 
ment, and  in  satisfying  many  ingenuous  minds  that  it  was 
not  a  doctrine  of  the  divine  oracles.  From  Tamworth 
School  he  removed  to  Clare-hall,  Cambridge,  where  he  soon 
became  fellow  and  tutor,  the  latter  of  which  offices  'he 
resigned  to  become  chaplain  to  Bishop  Moore.  His  new 
theory  of  the  earth  which  appeared  in  1696,  gained  him 
great  applause  ;  and  two  years  after,  he  was  presented  by 
the  Bishop  to  the  small  living  of  Lowestof,  in  Suffolk, 
where  he  devoted  himself  to  study  and  his  parochial  duties, 

^  Who  were  these  few  persons  it  is  impossible  to  say.  They  seem  to 
have  felt  a  lively  interest  in  the  fate  of  the  book;  and  this  circumstance 
demonstrates  how  strong  a  hold  the  doctrine  of  Univei'salism  possesses 
over  the  aifections  even  of  those,  who  for  some  reason,  think  it  prudent 
to  conceal  their  faith. 

^  At  what  time  the  edition  was  printed  in  Holland,  we  know  not.  The 
first  edition  after  the  surreptitious  ones,  appeai-ed  in  1727.  The  second  is 
in  octavo,  London,  1733.  The  sources  of  information  from  which  the 
account  of  Burnet's  work  has  been  drawn,  are:  Biographia  Brittanica, 
Art.  Dr.  Burnet,  Biographical  Dictionary,  6  vols,  octavo,  London,  1798. 
De  Statu  Mort,  et  Resurgent,  quarto  latin  edition.  Birch's  Life  of  Arch- 
bishoji  Tillotson. 


A.  D.  1710.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN    ENGLAND.  199 

until  called  to  Cambridge,  in  ITOO,  to  become  deputy  to 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  whom  he  soon  succeeded  as  professor 
of  mathematics.  He  had  not  been  long  in  this  oflSce  be- 
fore signs  of  heresy  were  discovered  in  him.  Averse  to  all 
hypocrisy,  he  publicly  acknowledged  himself  an  Anti- 
Trinitarian,  and  published  several  works  in  defence  of  his 
sentiments.  A  measure  so  well  calculated  to  draw  on  him 
the  displeasure  of  the  University,  procured  his  removal 
from  the  professorship  in  1710,  and  his  banishment  from 
the  precincts  of  Cambridge.  Patient  under  affliction,  and 
regardless  of  scorn  and  persecution,  he  removed  to  London, 
where  he  with  diflSculty  supported  himself,  by  giving  lec- 
tures on  philosophy,  astronomy,  and  divinity,  and  by  writ- 
ing on  his  favorite  subject  of  primitive  Christianity.  "  He 
was,"  as  Archbishop  Hare  observed,  "  a  fair,  unblemished 
character,  who  all  his  life  had  cultivated  piety,  virtue  and 
good  learning.  Constant  himself  in  the  private  and  public 
duties  of  religion,  he  promoted  virtue  in  others,  and  such 
learning  as  he  thought  would  conduce  most  to  the  honor  of 
God,  by  manifesting  the  greatness  and  wisdom  of  his 
works.  By  his  useful  works  of  philosophy  and  mathe- 
matics, he  endeavored  to  display  the  glory  of  the  great 
Creator ;  and  to  his  study  of  nature  he  early  joined  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures."  He  attended  the  worship  of  the 
Established  Church  until  near  the  close  of  his  life  ;  when 
taking  exceptions  to  the  reading  of  the  Athanasian  Creed, 
he  forsook  it,  but  did  not  live  long  after  to  pay  his  honors 
to  the  Supreme  with  any  denomination.  A  short  but 
severe  illness  terminated  his  earthly  career,  August  22, 
1752.^ 

HIS    WORKS    AGAINST   THE    DOCTRINE    OF    ENDLESS    TORMENTS. 

XIV.  Whiston  had  no  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  endless 
punishment  through  tlie  greater   part  of  his  life ;  and  at 

*  Lempriere. 


200  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [BcOK  IV. 

three  different  times  he  issued  publications  against  it.  The 
first,  printed  in  1*709,  was  an  Essay,  entitled,  "  Reason  and 
Philosophy  no  enemies  to  Faith."  "  When  I  first  wrote 
this  work,"  said  he,  "I  passed  by  Atherton,  a  market 
town  in  Warwickshire,  where  I  staid  all  night  with  a  very 
valuable  friend  of  mine,  Mr.  Shaw,  who  was  then  a  school 
master  there,  and  whose  worthy  son  was  lately  his  suc- 
cessor. I  left  the  paper  with  him  for  his  perusal,  that  we 
might  discourse  of  it  in  the  morning ;  when  he  came  to  me 
with  a  good  deal  of  surprise,  that  I  therein  had  declared 
that  I  did  not  believe  the  proper  eternity  of  hell  torments  ; 
which  he  said  was  a  subject  he  had  written  upon  for  the 
satisfaction  of  a  neighboring  gentleman,  who  made  the 
doctrine  of  their  eternity  an  almost  insuperable  argument 
against  the  Christian  religion.  But,  my  friend,  said  I,  you 
wrote  for  that  doctrine,  I  believe,  because  you  thought  it 
was  contained  in  the  New  Testament ;  he  confessed  it  was 
so  ;  but,  sir,  said  I,  suppose  I  can  show  you  that  this  doc- 
trine is  not  contained  in  the  New  Testament,  will  not  that 
alter  the  case  ?  He  confessed  it  would  ;  upon  which  we 
got  Dr.  Ilammond's  discourse  for  that  eternity,  with  a 
Greek  New  Testament,  and  the  Septuagint  for  the  Old 
Testament ;  when,  in  about  two  hours  time,  I  demonstrated 
to  him,  that  the  words  used  about  the  duration  of  those 
torments  in  the  New  Testament,  all  over  the  Septuagint, 
whence  the  language  of  the  New  Testament  was  taken, 
did  no  where  mean  a  proper  eternity  ;  which  he  confessed 
before  I  left  him  ;  and  acknowledged  that  I  had  given  him 
a  freedom  of  thought  in  that  matter,  which  he  had  not 
before."  ^ 

In  August,  1T17,  Mr.  Whiston  drew  up  another  small 
paper  on  the  same  subject,  containing,  as  he  saj^s,  "  a 
sketch  of  my  reasons  for  that  opinion  I  had  long  embraced, 
and  intimated  to  the  world  against  the  eternity  of  hell  tor- 

*  Whiston's Memoirs  of  his  Life  and  Writings;  London,  1749,  p.  145. 


A.  D.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  201 

ments,  in  my  Reason  and  Philosophy  no  enemies  to  Faith  ; 
which  was  a  branch  of  my  Sermons  and  Essays  published, 
A.  D.  1*709,  pp.  219-221.  But  since,  T  vastly  enlarged 
those  reasons,  and  published  a  distinct  pamphlet  upon  that 
subject  afterward,  of  which,  as  mention  will  be  made  in  due 
place  hereafter,  I  say  no  more  about  it  in  this  place.  Only 
that  Dr.  Lee,  in  his  excellent  Exposition  of  the  Seven 
Visions  of  Esdras,  which  I  read  over  more  than  once  in 
manuscript  long  ago,  and  which  are  now  in  Mr.  Law's 
hands,  is  clearly  of  the  same  opinion  ;  and  blames  our 
later  divines  for  their  rashness  in  that  matter. »  But  Mr. 
Whiston's  principal  work  on  this  subject  came  out  in  1740, 
and  a  second  edition  of  it  in  1752.  His  latest  testimony 
was  thus  borne  against  the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  hell 
torments,  for  the  preparation  of  this  edition  was  among 
the  last  acts  of  his  valuable  life.  It  was  entitled,  "  The 
Eternity  of  Hell  Torments  considered."  ^  It  is  a  collection 
of  texts  of  Scripture,  and  testimonies  of  the  three  first 
centuries  concerning  them,  with  notes  and  observations.* 
From  these  facts,  we  are  justified  in  regarding  Whiston, 
through  the  principal  part  of  his  long  life,  as  an  undoubted 
opponent  of  the  doctrine  of  the  endless  misery  of  the 
wicked.  He  aflSrmed  with  positiveness  thiit  this  doctrine 
was  not  founded  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  But  he  was  not 
equally  certain  that  all  mankind  will  eventually  enjoy  end- 
less happiness.  The  theory  of  the  modern  Destructionists 
he  did  not  hold,  for  he  had  a  hope,  if  not  a  weak  faith,  in 
Universalism.  Remarking  on  Origen's  view  of  the  salva- 
tion of  the  devil  and  the  damned,  he  says,  "  all  that  I  can 
see  any  hope  for  is  future  to  the  world  to  come  and  to  the 
next  age,  and  must  therefore  belong  to  a  still  future  age, 
after  the  destruction  of  the  bodies  of  the  wicked  in 
Gehenna,    at    the   general    resurrection.     I  mean   as   the 

»  Idem,  p.  286. 

2  Life  of  Tillotson  by  Thomas  Birch 

»  Ibid  376. 


202  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  IV. 

prophet  Esdras  seems  to  hint,  that  there  may  be  in  the 
utmost  bowels  of  the  compassion  of  the  Almighty,  another 
resurrection  and  another  time  of  trial  allotted  to  these 
miserable  creatures  somewbere,  in  which  many  or  all  of 
them  may  possibly  be  recovered,  and  saved  at  last  by  the 
infinite  indulgence  and  care  of  their  Creator.  And  God 
may  still  imitate  his  original  goodness  to  Adam,  when  he 
was  fallen  ;  that  when  he  had  justly  cast  him  out  of  paradise, 
yet  of  his  goodness  he  did  not  overlook  him,  nor  suffer  him 
to  perish  idterly,  for  he  was  thy  creature."  ^ 

But  after  all,  it  is  doubtful  whether  Whiston  had  any 
very  distinct  views  of  the  future  condition  either  of  the 
righteous  or  wicked.  Sometimes  he  seems  to  iurimate, 
that  although  the  righteous  will  exist  much  longer  than  the 
wicked,  neither  may  be  strictly  eternal  like  God  in  the  du- 
ration of  their  existence,  not  even  any  finite  or  subordinate 
creature  whatever.* 

CONTROVERSY    OCCASIONED    BY    HIS    WRITINGS, 

XV.  There  were  several  works  in  defence  of  endless 
misery,  that  appealed  in  the  time  embraced  between  the 
issue  of  Mr.  Whiston's  treatise,  of  some  of  which  it  is 
difficult  to  say  whether  or  not  they  took  their  rise  in  his 
opposition  to  the  doctrine  referred  to.  Ware's  "  Torments 
of  Hell  "  came  out  in  1'734  ;  and  we  find  "  The  Doctrine 
of  Hell  Torments  distinctly  and  impartially  considered," 
which  appeared  in  1*738,  though  we  are  not  apprised  of  the 
character  of  the  work.  Still  another  was  entitled,  "  The 
absolute  and  proper  eternity  of  Hell  torments,  proved  from 
Scripture,  from  reason,  and  from  the  natural  attributes  of 
God,"  and  although  we  have  never  seen  the  work,  we 
may  safely  say,  that  however  it  may  have  been  executed, 


^  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments  considered,  2d  edition,  p.  129. 
»  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments,  2d  Ed.  pp.  59,  60,  H5. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  208 

its  intent  is  sufficiently  manifest.^  But  Mr.  Winston's 
principal  pamphlet  called  forth  a  defence  of  endless  misery, 
entitled,  "The  Scripture  account  of  the  eternity  or  endless 
duration  of  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  the  torments  of  hell, 
"stated,  explained,  and  vindicated.  By  way  of  reply  to  Mr. 
Whiston's  late  book,  entitled  '  The  Eternity  of  Hell  Tor- 
ments,' "  &c,.  London,  1T42.  It  was  anonymous.  But 
these  were  not  all,  nor  indeed  the  principal  works  which 
appeared.  Mr,  (afterward  Dr.)  William  Dodwell,  Rector 
of  Shottesbrook  in  Berkshire,  defended  the  same  doctrine 
in  two  sermons  preached  before  the  University  of  Oxford, 
in  March,  1741,  and  printed  there  in  8vo.  in  1743  ;  in  the 
preface  to  which  he  affirms,  that  the  article  of  the  eternity 
of  future  punishment  "is  so  fundamental  a  part  of  the 
Christian  religion,  and  so  intimately  united  with  its  most 
essential  doctrines,  and  is  in  itself  the  strongest  enforce- 
ment of  its  practical  duties,  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
attack  it  in  a  more  vital  branch,  or  more  to  lessen  the  in- 
fluence of  this  great  and  gracious  scheme  for  the  reforma- 
tion of  mankind,  than  by  weakening  the  sanctions,  with 
which  the  divine  lawgiver  has  supported  it."^  The  ser- 
mons of  Dodwell  were  followed  in  the  succeeding  year, 
1744,  by  a  larger  treatise,  entitled  "An  Enquiry  into  the 
Scripture  doctrine  concerning  the  duration  of  Future  Pun- 
ishment."     Its    author   was    Matthew   Horberr}'^,    B.    D. 


^  There  was  still  another  work  belonging  to  this  time,  with  the  following 
singular  title;  which  shows  it  was  not  drawn  out  by  Mr.  Whiston's  publi- 
cations. "  The  Torments  after  Death.  Dedicated  to  the  Protestant  Greek 
and  Romish  Churches.  Delivered  in  a  conference  with  a  greater  proficient 
in  the  school  of  Atheism,  then  tlie  late  Earl  of  Rochester.  This  Leviathan 
died  in  greater  agonies  of  despair,  than  Francis  Spira.  The  reason  he 
gave  for  his  infidelity,  he  said,  was  the  doctrine  of  the  clergy,  who  teach 
their  audience  what  hell  is  not,  and  not  what  it  really  is."  London,  1740. 
By  Charles  Povey.  He  did  not  believe  in  material  fii'e,  but  in  the  stings 
of  conscience,  and  the  withdrawing  of  the  presence  of  God. 

*  Life  of  Tillotson,  by  Thomas  Birch.  See  "The  Eternity  of  Future 
Punishment  asserted  and  vindicated.  In  answer  to  Mr.  Whiston's  late 
Treatise  on  that  subject.  In  two  sermons  preached  before  the  University 
of  Oxford,  on  Sunday,  March  21,  1741.  By  William  Dodwell,  M.  A.,  Rec- 
tor of  Shottesbi'ook,  Berkshire.    Oxford,  1743. 


204  MODERN    fflSTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  Book  IV. 

Fellow  of  Magdalen  College  in  Oxford,  and  chaplain  to  the 
Eight  Reverend  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry. 
Considering  his  task  as  being  of  an  unpleasant  character, 
he  undertook  it  with  great  reluctance,  being  pressed  into 
it  by  the  Bishop.  He  brought  forward  the  texts  in 
the  New  Testament  in  which  he  supposed  the  doctrine 
of  endless  punishment  to  be  taught,  and  labored  to  show 
that  they  inculcate  nothing  inconsistent  with  reason.  His 
work  was  commenced  thus  :  "The  several  treatises  which 
have,  within  these  late  years,  been  published  questioning 
the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  future  punishment,  and  the 
too  great  success  which  it  may  be  feared  they  have  met 
with  in  a  licentious  and  unbelieving  age,  may  have  ren- 
dered it  perhaps  but  too  necessary  to  examine  this  subject 
once  more."  Whiston's  treatise  received  his  chief  atten- 
tion ;  but  there  are  occasional  notices  of  "The  World 
unmasked  or  the  philosopher  the  greatest  Cheat,"  which 
had  been  translated  from  the  French,  and  published  in 
England  about  eight  years  before.^ 

SIR   ISAAC    NEWTON. 

XYI.  In  that  circle  of  lofty  spirits  of  whom  we  speak 
in  this  chapter,  and  who  agreed  in  discarding  the  eternal 

^  The  full  title  of  Mr.  Horberry's  work  was  as  follows:  "An  Enquiry 
into  the  Scripture  Doctrine  concerning  the  duration  of  Future  Punishment 
in  which  the  tests  of  the  New  Testament,  relating  to  this  subject  are  con- 
sidered ;  and  the  doctrine  drawn  from  them  alone  is  shown  to  be  consistent 
with  reason.  Occasioned  by  some  late  writings,  and  particularly  Mr. 
Whiston's  discourse  of  Hell  Torments."  By  Matthew  Horberry,  B.  D. 
Fellow  of  Magdalen  College,  Oxford ;  and  Chaplain  to  the  Right  Reverend 
the  Lord  Bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry.  London,  1744.  Dr.  Hoi- 
berry  wrote  this  inquiry,  as  has  been  stated  above,  at  the  solicitation  of 
Bishop  Smalbroke.  See  Gent's  Magazine,  1806,  p.  332.  The  work  is  a 
large  12mo.  of  313  pages. 

He  attempts  to  prove  endless  misery,  first,  by  passages  from  the  four 
erospels;  2d,  by  testimonies  from  the  other  books  of  the  New  Testament; 
3d,  he  seeks  to  reconcile  that  doctrine  with  the  moral  i^erfections  of  God; 
4th,  he  considers  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  and  seeks  to  show  that  it  is 
not  revealed  in  the  Scriptures;  Oth,  he  opposes  the  doctrine  of  annihilation 
and  also  the  doctrine  of  a  future  probation;  and  (ith,  he  pleads  for  the  use 
and  importance  of  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery.  He  was  evidently  a 
man  of  learning  and  wrote  not  in  a  bad  spirit. 


A.  D.  nSO.]  UNIVEESALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  205 

punishment  of  mankind,  we  may  name,  that  most  illustrious 
of  philosophers,  Sir  Isaac  Newton.  Notwithstanding  the 
incredible  labor  he  bestowed  on  other  subjects,  he  gave 
himself  tmie  to  think,  and  speak  and  write  upon  religion. 
Whiston,  a  man  of  the  strictest  veracity,  and  one  who, 
from  his  intimate  acquaintance,  had  every  opportunity  of 
knowing  the  opinions  of  Sir  Isaac,  declares  that  their  views 
were  the  same  on  the  subject  of  etei-nal  punishment.^  That 
this  incomparable  genius  swerved  widely  from  the  standard 
of  what  is  now  called  orthodoxy,  cannot,  for  a  moment, 
be  disputed  ;  and  it  is  equally  well  known,  that  he  depos- 
ited his  sentiments  in  the  bosoms  of  his  particular  friends  ; 
on  subjects  concerning  which  his  views  were  not  generally 
known  until  after  his  death.  Nor  can  we  have  confidence 
that  he  did  not  develop  his  mind  in  his  unpublished  manu- 
scripts, since  it  is  laid  to  the  charge  of  Bishop  Plorsely  that 
he  had  suppressed  some  of  his  papers.**  In  his  paraphrase 
upon  Revelation  xiv.  10,  11,  he  says,  "  The  degree  and 
duration  of  the  torment  of  these  degenerate  and  anti-chris- 
tian  people,  should  be  no  other  than  would  be  approved  of 
by  those  angels  who  had  ever  labored  for  their  salvation, 
and  that  Lamb  who  had  redeemed  them  with  his  most  pre- 
cious blood. "^ 

DR.    SAMUEL    CLARKE. 

XVII.  The  statement  which  we  have  here  made  con- 
cerning Sir  Isaac  Newton,  may  be  repeated  in  reference  to 

^  "  It  is  now  about  forty  years  ago,  that  in  my  small  discourse,  entitled 
'  Reason  and  Philosophy  no  enemies  to  Faith,'  I  declared  my  opinion 
against  the  proper  eternity  of  the  torments  of  hell.  In  my  Historical  Me- 
moirs of  the  life  of  Dr.  Clarke  also,  written  twenty-one  years  ago,  I  men- 
tioned a  small  paper  of  mine,  written  about  the  year  1717,  but  not  then, 
nor  since  published,  containing  some  reasons  of  that  my  opinion.  When  I 
said  withal,  '  that  I  thought  I  might  Yenture  to  add,  upon  the  credit  of 
what,  I  had  discovered  of  the  opinions  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  and  Dr.  Clarke, 
that  they  wei-e  both  of  the  same  sentiments  of  that  matter."  Eternity  of 
Hell  Torments,  &c.,  2d  Edition. __  London  1752,  p.  3. 

*  Sparks'  Essays  and  Tracts,  ii.  230. 

3  Whiston's  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments,  2d  Edition,  p.  47. 

18 


206  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

that  sound  and  amiable  divine,  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke.  Whis* 
ton  knew  him  well,  and  wrote  a  memoir  of  his  life  ;  and  he 
gives  his  testimony  concerning  the  Dr's  rejection  of  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misery,  from  what  he  himself  had  dis- 
covered of  his  sentiments.^  Clarke  was  a  sincere  inquirer 
after  truth.  He  supposed  that  very  few  thinking  men, 
could  really   believe  in  the  doctrine  of  endless  torture. 


DR.  GEORGE  CHEYNE  DEFENDS  UNIVERSALISM. 

XVIII.  Contemporary  with  Whiston  lived  Dr.  George 
Cheyne,  and  the  Chevalier  Eamsay,  the  former  a  physician, 
the  latter  a  man  of  letters,  and  both  indisputably  Univer- 
salists.  Dr.  Cheyne  was  educated  at  Edinburgh ;  at  the 
age  of  thirty  removed  to  London,  and  resided  in  England 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  was  protracted  to 
the  mature  age  of  seventy -two.  He  died  in  1143.  Among 
the  works  he  wrote,  the  best  known,  is  his  treatise  en- 
titled, "  Philosophical  Principles  of  Natural  and  Revealed 
Religion  ;  "  and  it  is  in  this  that  he  asserts  his  belief  of  the 
final  salvation  of  all  mankind.  There  is  no  elaborate  de- 
fence of  this  particular  doctrine,  nor  even  a  general 
exposition  of  the  evidences  by  which  it  is  sustained  ;  but 
it  is  involved  in  his  reasoning,  and  it  is  plainly  and  directly, 
but  briefly  stated.  He  maintained  that  there  is  a  principle 
of  action  in  intelligent  beings,  analagous  to  that  of  attrac- 

1  "About  the  year  1717,  I  wrote  a  small  paper,  not  yet  published,  con- 
taining very  briefly  the  reasons  for  what  I  had  eight  years  before  declared 
to  be"  my  opinion,  in  the  Sermons  and  Essays,  p.  220,  22i,  against  the 
proper  etei-nity  of  the  torments  of  hell.  And  think  I  may  ventui-e  to  add, 
upon  the  credit  of  what  I  discovered  of  the  opinions  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton 
and  Dr.  Clarke,  they  were  both  of  the  same  sentiments.  Nay,  Dr.  Clarke 
thought,  that  "  few  or  no  thinking  men  were  really  of  diiferent  sentiments 
in  that  matter."  And  as  to  myself,  to  speak  my  mind  freely,  I  have  many 
years  thought,  that  the  common  opinion  in  this  matter,  if  it  were  for  cer- 
tain a  real  part  of  Christianity,  would  be  a  more  insuperable  objection 
against  it  than  any  or  all  the  present  objections  of  uubelieyers  put  to- 
gether."   Memoirs  of  Dr.  Clarke,  London,  1748.  p.  75. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  207 

tion  in  the  material  system,  which  is  the  principle  of  re- 
union with  the  first  cause,  who  "  infinitely  powerful,  and 
perfect,  must  necessarily  subject,  draw  and  unite  all  intel- 
ligent beings  to  himself,  to  make  them  as  happy  as  their 
respective  natures  can  admit."  He  is  the  sole  object  of 
their  happiness,  and  they  must  be  brought  to  him  to  enjoy 
it.  "  This  happiness  is  the  very  end  of  their  creation,  it 
being  impossible  infinite  perfection  should  make  intelligent 
beings,  for  any  less,  or  any  other  end."^ 


THE    CHEVALIER    RAMSAY. 

XIX.  Andrew  Michael  Ramsay,  commonly  called  the 
Chevalier,  was  like  Dr.  Cheyne,  a  Scotchman,  and  was 
born  at  Ayr,  June  9th,  1686.  After  receiving  his  educa- 
tion at  Edinburgh,  he  travelled  into  Holland.  In  1710,  he 
visited  the  celebrated  Fenelon,  at  Cambray,  by  whom  he 
was  persuaded  to  embrace  the  Catholic  faith.  By  the 
friendship  and  patronage  of  this  great  man,  he  obtained  an 
honorable  situation  as  tutor  to  one  of  the  French  Dukes, 
and  to  the  Prince  of  Turrene.  He  was  afterwards  at 
Rome,  engaged  in  the  education  of  the  children  of  the 
Pretender  ;  but  becoming  disgusted  at  the  petty  quarrels, 
and  immoral  lives  of  the  Catholics,  he  returned  to  Scot- 
land, where  he  was  received  with  favor.  In  1730,  he  was 
honored  by  the  University  of  Oxford  with  a  Doctor's 
degree,  and  he  excited  the  attention  of  many  of  the  learned 
men  of  England.  He  died  in  France,  in  1743,  while  in  the 
service  of  his  friend  and  patron  the  Due  de  Turrene. 
Besides  several  other  works,  he  wrote  the  history  of  M. 
de  Turrene,  and  the  life  of  the  learned  and  amiable 
Fenelon. 

*  Philosophical  Principles,  edition  1715. 


208  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV 

HIS    WORKS    FAVOR    UNIVERSALISM. 

XX.  Those  works  in  which  he  favors  the  doctrine  of 
Universalism,  are  the  "  Travels  of  C^'rus,"  and  "  Philo- 
sophical Principles  of  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion." 
The  former  was  regarded  by  critics  as  the  best  of  all  his 
writings.  It  is  fictitious,  though  many  important  facts 
are  incorporated  into  it.  It  was  pronounced  by  Voltaire, 
a  feeble  imitation  of  Fenelon's  celebrated  Telemachus. 
Cyrus,  a  young  prince,  afterward  King  of  Persia,  is  the 
hero  of  the  story  ;  and  in  the  course  of  his  travels,  he 
passes  through  various  countries,  studying  their  manners, 
their  laws  and  their  religions.  He  visits  the  Magi  ;  he 
learns  the  history  and  views  of  Zoroaster  ;  he  reads  the 
books  of  Hermes  ;  he  converses  with  Pythagoras  ;  be- 
comes acquainted  with  the  religion  of  the  Hebrews  ;  and 
derives  from  Daniel,  the  prophet  of  the  Most  High,  what 
the  author  supposed  to  be  the  doctrine  of  pure  religion. 
Thus  the  young  prince,  passing  through  the  various 
degrees  of  improvement  which  the  philosophers  made  upon 
one  another,  arrives  at  last  at  the  knowledge  of  a  perfect 
system  of  truth  ;  and  perceives  that  in  the  religion  of  all 
nations,  how  wrong  soever,  there  is  a  very  striking  simi- 
larity. The  different  Philosophers  with  whom  he  conversed 
successively  unfolded  to  him  new  truths  mixed  with  errors. 
Zoroaster  confutes  the  mistakes  of  the  Magi ;  Pythagoras 
those  of  Zoroaster;  the  Hebrew  priests  those  of  Pythag- 
oras ;  and  Daniel,  representing  a  perfect  Christian,  rejects 
the  misconceptions  of  all  the  rest.  The  dogma  of  endless 
misery  is  not  contained  in  the  perfect  system  which  Daniel 
teaches  the  young  prince,  who  had  learned  from  Eleazer, 
the  Hebrew,  that  God  "  drew  spirits  out  of  nothing  to 
make  them  happy  ;  and  he  punishes  them  that  they  may 
return  into  order.'' ' 

*  Boston  (Mass.)  edition,  p.  226. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  209 

"The  Philosophical  Principles  of  Natural  and  Revealed 
Religion,"  is  an  elaborate  production.  It  is  divided  into 
two  parts,  in  the  first  of  which  the  author  endeavors  to 
demonstrate  "  that  the  great  principles  of  Natural  Religion 
are  founded  upon  the  most  invincible  evidence  ;  and  that 
the  essential  doctrines  of  Revealed  Religion  are  perfectly 
conformable  to  reason."  In  the  second  he  attempts  to 
show,  "  that  vestiges  of  all  the  principal  doctrines  of  the 
Christian  Religion  are  to  be  found  in  the  monuments, 
writings  or  mythologies  of  all  nations,  ages  or  religions." 

He  maintains  in  the  first  part,  that  "  God's  design  in 
creating  finite  intelligences  could  only  be  to  make  them 
eternally  happy,  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  his  boundless 
perfections."  "  All  reasonable  agents  act  for  an  end. 
This  end  must  be  either  doing  good  to  themselves  or  to 
others.  God's  design  in  creating  could  not  be  to  do  good 
to  himself,  and  therefore  it  must  be  to  do  good  to  others." 
He  maintained  also,  that  "  Eternal  Providence  desires, 
wills  and  employs  continually  all  the  means  necessary  to 
lead  intelligent  creatures  to  their  ultimate  and  supreme 
happiness."  "  Almighty  power,  wisdom  and  love  cannot 
be  eternally  frustrated  in  his  absolute  and  ultimate  designs: 
therefore,  God  will  at  last  pardon  and  re-establish  in  hap- 
piness all  lapsed  beings." 

We  have,  in  the  Chevalier  Ramsay,  the  rare  specimen  of 
a  Roman  Catholic  Universalist ;  and  the  warm  patronage 
bestowed  on  him  by  Fenelon,  to  whom  his  sentiments  were 
well  known,  brings  the  religious  opinions  of  the  latter  into 
question.  The  Travels  of  Cyrus  may  well  be  supposed  to 
have  been  written  after  the  Chevalier  became  an  admirer 
of  this  distinguished  French  divine  ;  and  the  Philosophical 
Principles  was  a  posthumous  work  ;  so  that  it  is  tolerably 
certain  both  were  written  after  their  author  made  a  pro- 
fession of  the  Catholic  religion.  But  he  died  in  the  bosom 
of  the  Mother  Church,  while  a  warm  adherent  to  sentiments 

18* 


210  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IV 

she    had    repeatedly    renounced    as    the    most   damnable 
teres  J. 

DANIEL     DE     FOE     HINTS    AT     UNIVERSALISM. 

XXI.  [1120.]  In  persuing  the  history  of  Whiston,  we 
were  led  almost  insensibly  out  of  the  pale  of  the  Establish- 
ed Church ;  for  we  have  seen,  that  although  at  first 
attached  thereto,  he  in  the  end,  died  a  dissenter.  Neither 
was  Cheyne,  or  the  Chevalier  Ramsay,  a  member  of  the 
establishment.  Although  there  are  some  other  members 
of  the  national  church,  belonging  to  this  period,  who  must 
receive  our  attention,  we  shall  not  for  the  present  turn 
away  our  attention  from  the  dissenters.  Daniel  de  Foe 
was  the  author  of  several  works  ;  of  which  the  best  known 
is  Robinson  Crusoe,  which  appeared  about  1720.  From 
obscurity  and  poverty  he  rose  to  pre-eminence  and  fame, 
and  the  merits  which  his  works  possessed  gained  him  the 
friendship  of  literary  men.  He  continued  through  life  in 
the  profession  of  an  orthodox  nonconformist,  nor  did  he 
escape  the  imputation  of  being  an  enemy  to  religious 
liberty.  It  has,  however,  been  conjectured,  in  the  follow- 
ing passage  by  Dr.  Kippis,  that  the  author  of  Robinson 
Crusoe  might  possibly  have  been  disposed  to  soften  the 
rigors  of  Calvinism  in  one  essential  point. 

"  Many  fine  displays  of  natural  sentiment  occur  in  Robinson  Crusoe's 
man  Friday;  and  there  is  one  which,  on  reading  it,  appeared  to  the  present 
•writer  particularly  striking.  It  is  in  the  conversation  which  Crusoe  has 
with  Friday  concerning  the  Devil.  Friday,  being  informed  by  his  master 
that  God  was  stronger  than  the  Devil,  asks,  if  God  much  strong,  much 
might  as  the  Devil,  ivhy  God  not  kill  the  Devil,  so  make  him  no  more 
wicked  ?  At  this  question  Crusoe  was  greatly  surprised  and  embarrassed; 
but,  having  recovered  himself  a  little,  he  answered,  God  would  at  last 
punish  the  Devil  severely,  that  he  is  reserved  for  judgment,  and  is  to  be 
cast  into  the  bottomless  pit,  to  dwell  with  everlasting  fire.  Still,  however, 
Friday  not  being  satisfied,  returns  upon  his  master,  repeating  his  words. 
Reserve  at  last,  me  no  understand  :  but  v;hy  not  kill  the  Devil  noiu?  not 
kill  him  great  ago?  You  may  as  wi-11  ask  me,  replied  Crusoe,  wliy  Gud 
does  not  kill  you  and  me,  when  we  do  wicked  things  here  that  offend  him ; 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  211 

we  are  preserved  to  repent  and  be  pardoned.  At  this  Friday  mused 
awhile,  and  then  said,  mighty  affectionately,  well,  well,  that  well;  so  you, 
I,  Devil,  all  wicked,  all  preserve,  repent,  God  pardon  all.  Perhaps  it 
would  be  going  too  far  to  assei't  that  De  Foe  intended  covertly  to  insinuate 
that  there  might  be  a  more  merciful  distribution  of  things,  in  the  final 
result  of  Divine  Providence,  than  he  dared  at  that  time  openly  to  ex- 
hibit." *     Thus  far  Dr.  Kippis. 

DR.    WATTS    SPEAKS    DOUBTFULLY    OF    ENDLESS    PUNISHMENT. 

XXII,  The  character  of  Dr.  Watts  is  universally  known. 
As  a  poet,  as  a  man  of  learning  and  piety,  his  praise  has  long 
been  on  every  tongue  ;  and  among  the  dissenters  in  Eng- 
land, he  won  the  highest  fame.  The  following  extract  from 
one  of  his  sermons  will  show,  that  even  while  he  openly 
defended  the  doctrine  in  question,  his  mind  was  not  free 
from  strong  doubts  upon  the  subject  : 

"  Whensoever  any  such  criminal  in  hell  shall  be  found  making  such  a 
sincere  and  mournful  address  to  the  righteous  and  merciful  judge  of  all; 
if,  at  the  same  time,  he  is  truly  humble  and  penitent  for  his  past  sins,  and 
is  grieved  at  his  heart  for  having  offended  his  Maker,  and  melts  into  sin- 
cere repentance;  I  cannot  think  that  a  God  of  perfect  equity  and  rich 
mercy  will  continue  such  a  creature  under  his  vengeance,  but  rather  that 
the  perfections  of  God  will  contrive  a  way  for  escape,  though  God  has  not 
given  us  here,  any  revelation  or  discovery  of  such  special  grace  as  this."  - 

Again  he  says,  in  the  same  work  : 

"  I  grant  that  the  eternity  of  God  himself,  before  this  world  began,  or 
after  its  consummation,  has  something  in  it  so  immense  and  so  incomi^re- 
hensible,  that  in  my  most  mature  thoughts  I  do  not  choose  to  enter  into 
those  infinite  abysses;  nor  do  I  think  we  ought  usually,  when  we  speak 
concerning  creatures,  to  affirm  positively,  that  their  existence  shall  be 
equal  to  that  of  the  blessed  God,  especially  with  regard  to  the  duration  of 
punishment.  Perhaps  this  sort  of  language  may  carry  in  it  something 
beyond  what  we  are  called  to  discourse  about,  at  least  in  this  mortal  state; 
and,  therefore,  such  comparisons  are  more  safely  omitted."  '^ 

1  Monthly  Repository,  xiii.  659. 

2  See  his  work  entitled,  "  World  to  Come,"  in  his  works,  quarto,  Lon- 
don edition,  1753,  vol.  i.  p.  738.     Also,  Monthly  Repository,  xiv.  90. 

3  Idem,  p.  732.  Notwithstanding  Watts  wrote  largely  and  earnestly  in 
favor  of  endless  misery,  yet  he  was  evidently  distressed  and  puzzled  with 
that  doctrine.     He   felt  obliged   to   make    the  concessions  hei'e  quoted 


212  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.       [Book  IV. 

DR.    PHILIP      DODDKIDGE    EXPRESSES    DOUBTS. 

XXIII.  Of  the  candor,  benevolence,  meekness  and  learn 
ing  of  Dr.  Doddridge,  it  is  utterly  unnecessary  to  speak. 
Dr.  Samuel  Clarke  was  bis  instructor,  and  afterward  his 
faithful  guardian.  As  the  preceptor  of  an  academy,  an 
office  he  filled  through  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  he  sus- 
tained the  highest  rank  ;  his  useful  labors  and  exalted 
character  secured  him  the  esteem  of  the  learned  and  the 
admiration  of  all  parties. 

Concerning  endless  punishment  he  says,  "  We  cannot 
pretend  to  decide  a  priori,  or  previous  to  the  event,  so  far 
to  say,  that  the  punishments  of  hell  must  and  will  certain- 
ly be  eternal."^  Nevertheless,  the  good  Doctor  thought 
it  not  proper  "  positively  to  determine  "  that  they  would 
have  an  end. 


BEV.    JOHN    BARKER,    A    UNIVERSALIST. 

XXIV.  No  one  who  looked  on  Universalism  as  a  false 
and  dangerous  doctrine,  could  have  enjoyed  the  extatic 
pleasure  felt  by  Dr.  Doddridge  on  the  reception  of  the  let- 
ter containing  the  following  extracts,  from  his  friend  Mr. 
J.  Barker. 

"  Yet,  it  is  so;  we  read  in  the  book  of  God,  that  word  of  truth  and 
gospel  of  our  salvation,  that  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall 
all  be  made  alive Yes,  Doddridge,  it  is  so.    The  fruit 


Southey,  in  his  Life  of  Watts,  "  thinks  that  he  finds  in  a  detached  sentence 
or  two,  evidence  that  the  poet  cherished  the  opinion  of  Origen  respecting 
eternal  punishment."     Biblical  Repository,  v.  253. 

In  his  Memoir  of  Watts,  Southey  says,  after  having  quoted  a  passage 
from  his  works:  "  This  is  a  most  curious  passage.  While  on  the  one  hand 
it  expresses,  in  the  strongest  and  most  unequivocal  terms,that  the  writer 
believed  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment,  because  he  found  it  plainly  to 
his  understanding  declared  in  Scripture,  it  implies  on  the  other,  as  obvi- 
ously as  words  can  imply  a  meaning,  an  opinion  that  the  Almighty  has 
some  secret  and  mitigating  decvw,  uU a  men te  7-eportum,  und  that  Watts 
himself  agreed,  in  his  latent  belief,  with  Origen  and  the  Universalists." 
See  Sacred  Classics,  vol.  ix.  p.  5',). 

•  Theolog.  Lectures,  prop.  163. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  213 

of  our  Redeemer's  suiferings  and  victory  is  the  entire  and  eternal  destruc- 
tion of  sin  and  death.  And  is  it  not  a  glorious  destruction?  a  most  bless- 
ed ruin  ?  No  enemy  so  formidable,  no  tyranny  so  bitter,  no  fetters  so 
heavy  and  galling,  no  prison  so  dark  and  dismal,  but  they  are  vanquished 
and  disarmed;  the  unerring  dart  is  blunted  and  broken,  the  prison  pulled 
down  and  rased.  Our  Lord  is  risen,  as  the  first  fruits  of  them  that 
slept.  "1 

At  the  time  of  the  reception  of  this  letter,  Dr.  Doddridge 
was  very  dangerously  ill ;  and  it  is  said  by  his  biographer, 
that  "  the  friendship  expressed  in  it,  and  the  divine  conso- 
lation which  it  administered  so  deeply  affected  him,  that 
there  was  reason  to  be  apprehensive  that  his  tender  frame 
would  have  sunk  under  the  emotions  of  his  gratitude  and 
joy."* 

DR.    EDWARD    YOUNG.      REASONS    FOR  THINKING    HE    DOUBTED  END- 
LESS   TORTURE. 

XXV.  Equally  well  known  with  either  of  the  foregoing, 
and  greater  even  than  Watts  perhaps,  as  a  poet,  was  Dr. 
Edward  Young.  To  many  it  will  seem  the  height  of  folly 
and  presumption  to  intimate  that  a  man  who  has,  as  it  were, 
sung  the  praises  of  hell,  had  any  doubts  of  the  strict 
eternity  of  punishment.  But  doubts  of  this  kind  have 
sometimes  existed  in  the  minds  of  those  who  have  been 
generally  regarded  as  invulnerable  to  them  ;  and  we  have 
some  facts  to  submit  in  the  case  of  Dr.  Young,  which  we 
cannot  account  for,  admitting  that  he  believed  in  endless 
punishment.  It  is  a  probable  conjecture,  that,  like  Tillot- 
son's  famous  sermon,  some  of  Young's  most  forcible  pas- 
sages, in  which  his  genius  seems  to  riot  in  the  description 
of  hell,  were  designed  by  him  as  a  covert  exposure  of  the 

1  Orton's  Memoirs  of  Doddridge,  Salop  Ed.,  1766,  pp.  326,  327.  The 
author  of  this  Letter  was  Rev.  Mr.  John  Barker,  minister  of  the  gospel  m 
Loudon.  If  he  had  ftiith  in  his  letter  to  Dr.  Doddridge,  he  must  have  been 
a  Universalist.  His  sermons  published  after  his  death,  make  no  mention 
of  his  faith  in  this  particular.  Possibly  he  did  not  embrace  it  until  the 
latter  part  of  his  life ;  and  if  he  left  any  manuscripts  in  its  defence,  they 
have  not  been  published. 

*  See  the  life  of  Dr.  Doddridge  prefixed  to  his  -works.    London  Ed.  1792. 


214  MODERN    HISTORY   OP  DNIVERSALISM.  Book  IV. 

awfulness  and  unlikehood  of  his  theme.  A  writer  in  the 
Monthly  Repository  ^  had  this  impression,  and  refers  to  the 
following  extracts  as  instances. 

The  damned  sinner  in  hell  is  represented  as  making  the 
following  just  and  powerful  apppeal : 

"  Why  burst  the  barriers  of  my  peaceful  grave 
Ah!  cruel  death!  that  would  no  longer  save, 
But  grudg'd  me  e'en  that  narrow,  dai-k  abode, 
And  cast  me  out  into  the  wrath  of  God ; 
Where  shrieks,  the  roaring  flame,  the  rattling  chain. 
And  all  the  dreadful  eloquence  of  pain, 
My  only  song;  black  fire's  malignant  light, 
The  sole  refreshment  of  the  blasted  sight. 
Must  all  those  pow'rs  heaven  gave  me  to  supply 
My  soul  with  pleasure,  and  bring  in  my  joy, 
Rise  up  in  arms  against  me,  join  the  foe, 
Sense,  reason,  memory,  increase  my  woe? 
And  shall  my  voice  ordained  on  hymns  to  dwell. 
Corrupt  te  groans,  and  blow  the  fires  of  hell  ? 
Oh!  must  I  look  with  terror  on  my  gain. 
And  with  existence  only  measure  pain  ? 
"What?  no  reprieve,  no  least  indulgence  giv'n. 
No  beam  of  hojje  from  any  point  of  heav'n! 
Ah  !  Mercy !  Mercy !  art  thou  dead  above  ? 
Is  Love  extinguished  in  the  source  of  Love  ?" 

No  man  who  did  not  feel  the  justness  of  this  plea  could 
have  set  it  forth  so  powerfully. 

Again.  - 

"  Father  of  Mercies  !  why  from  silent  earth 
Didst  thou  awake  and  curse  me  into  birth  ? 
Tear  me  from  quiet,  ravish  me  from  night? 
And  make  a  thankless  present  of  thy  light  ? 
Tush  into  being  a  reverse  of  thee. 
And  animate  a  clod  with  misery? 

The  beasts  are  happy,  they  come  forth  and  keep 
Short  watch  on  earth,  and  then  lie  down  to  sleep. 
Pain  is  for  man;  and  oh!  how  vast  a  pain 
For  crimes  which  made  the  Godhead  bleed  in  vain! 
AnnuU'd  his  groans,  as  far  as  in  them  lay. 
And  flung  his  agonies  and  death  away ! 

»  Vol.  xi.  p.  463. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIYEESALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  215 

As  our  dire  punishment  forever  strong. 

Our  constitution  too  forever  young,  ^ 

Curs'cl  with  returns  of  vigor,  still  the  same 

Pow'rful  to  bear,  and  satisfy  the  flame: 

Still  to  be  caught,  and  still  to  be  pursued! 

To  perish  still  and  still  to  be  renewed ! 

And  this,  my  Help,  my  God,  at  thy  decree? 
Nature  is  chang'd,  and  hell  should  succor  me. 
And  canst  thou  then  look  down  from  perfect  bliss. 
And  see  me  plunging  in  the  dark  abyss  ? 
Calling  thee  Father  in  a  sea  of  fire  ? 
Or  pouring  blasphemies  at  Thy  desire? 
With  mortals'  anguish  wilt  Thou  raise  Thy  name  ? 
And  by  my  pangs  omnipotence  proclaim?  "  * 

Can  it  be  supposed  that  Dr.  Young  did  not  see  the 
plain  sense  of  the  following  passage  from  his  "  Night 
Thoughts."  ? 

"  Who,  without  pain's  advice,  would  e'er  be  good? 
Who,  without  death,  but  would  be  good  in  vain? 
Pain  is  to  save  from  pain,  all  punishment 
To  make  for  peace;  and  death,  to  save  from  death: 
And  second  death  to  guard  immortal  life! 
By  the  same  tenderness  divine  ordained, 
That  planted  Eden,  and  high  bloomed  for  man, 
A  fairer  Eden  endless  in  the  skies. 
Great  source  of  good  alone,  how  kind  in  all! 
In  vengeance  kind!    Pain,  death,  Gehenna,  save." 

Still  further  to  confirm  the  opinion  we  have  expressed, 
we  may  remark,  that  Dr.  Young  was  a  great  admirer  of 
"  Hartley  on  Man,"  a  work  in  which  Universalism  is  vig- 
orously defended.  It  gave  him  "  great  satisfaction,"  a 
fact  hardly  to  be  accounted  for,  if  he  thought  one  of  its 
principal  doctrines  a  dangerous  error.  In  his  commenda- 
tion, he  had  particular  reference  to  that  part  which  will  give 
pleasure  to  men  who  think  themselves  immortal.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  fact  of  its  having  gainsayers,  and  of  its  mani- 
festing the  author's  freedom  of  thought,  yet  he  does  not 

*  See  "  The  Last  day,"  a  poem,  Book  iii. 


21G  MODEEN  HISTOEY   OF  UNIVEESALTSM,         [Book  IV. 

qualify   his   praise.     See  the  following   letter,    addressed 
to  the  celebrated  Samuel  Richardson,  author  of  Paraelia. 

May  8th,  1749. 

Dear  Sir  —  When  I  was  in  town,  I  asked  you  if  you  had  read  Dr.  Hart- 
ley's book.  You  told  me  you  had  not.  I  was  sorry  for  it,  for  I  have  a 
curiosity  to  know  your  opinion  of  it.  I  have  since  read  it  a  second  time, 
and  with  great  satisfaction.  It  is  certainly  a  work  of  distinction ;  by  men 
of  distinction  therefore,  it  ought  to  be  read.  It  is  calculated  for  men  of 
sense.  I  make  no  doubt  but  that  it  has  its  gainsay ers ;  but  therefore  it 
is  a  proper  subject  for  your  discussion  and  discernment.  So  few  books 
have  any  thing  new  in  them,  that  those  which  have  are  entitled  to  our 
particular  regard.  All  I  will  venture  to  say  about  it  is,  that  there  is  no 
man  who  seriously  considers  himself  immortal,  but  will  find  his  pleasure, 
if  not  his  profit  in  it.  And  if  you  are  not  one  of  those  men,  you  have 
greatly  imposed  on,  dear  sir. 

Your  very  affectionate  and  most  humble  servant.  E.  Young. 

P.  S.  It  is  evident  that  Dr  Hartley  has  thought  for  himself,  a  character 
without  which  no  writer  can  be  of  any  considerable  value.  And  thus  far 
the  author  I  recommend  to  your  perusal  resembles  yourself,  which  is  a 
Bort  of  bribe  to  you  in  his  favor.* 

The  following  extract  will  confirm  the  opinion  to  which 
the  foregoing  epistle  must  have  given  rise  in  the  reader's 
mind.     It  is  taken  from  the  first  of  Young's  Moral  Letters. 

"  Great  God,  strike,  break  this  hard  heart  and  soften  it.  Great  God, 
have  pity  upon  me,  save  me  from  my  own  fury:  if  I  am  culpable,  thou 
knowest  how  to  pardon.  Hast  thou  not  always  for  me  the  compassion  of 
a  father?  Am  I  not  thy  son  ?  Am  I  not  the  workmanship  of  thy  hands? 
Do  not  disdain  it,  do  not  destroy  it;  vengeance  is  painful  to  thee  —  thy 
pleasure  is  to  save  and  not  to  destroy.  It  is  in  thy  goodness  I  place  my 
resource,  my  hope.  For  who  am  I?  a  frail  mixture  of  objection,  and  of 
weakness  —  an  atom  —  an  insect,  who  lives  only  for  a  space  of  a  morning 
and  abideth  not  until  the  evening  —  a  light  vapor  —  a  breath  —  a  vain 
shade  which  wandereth  a  while  through  uncertainty  and  danger, then  van- 
isheth.  That  all  powerful  arm,  which  with  a  light  shock,  can  overturn 
the  Universe,  canst  thou  extend  it  against  so  frail  a  being?  Ah!  even  thy 
greatness  defends  me  against  thyself.  If  I  am  unworthy  thy  clemency,  I 
am  also  of  thy  anger.  Dost  thou  forget  I  am  but  dust?  Yes!  thou  recol- 
lectest  thy  own  glory.  Art  thou  not  a  pardoning  God?  Dost  thou  not 
create  to  render  happy  ?  and  punish  to  preserve  ?  " 

*  This  letter  is  extracted  from  the  "  Correspondence  of  Richardson." 
See  also  Month.  Repos.  i.  056. 


A.  D.  1735.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  217 

We  add  but  one  more  fact.  The  Rev.  Richard  Clarke, 
formerly  Rector  of  St.  Phillip's,  Charleston,  S.  C,  and 
afterwards  Lecturer  at  Stoke  Newington,  near  London, 
wrote  several  works  in  defence  of  Universal  Restoration. 
With  these  Dr.  Young  was  well  acquainted,  and  particu- 
larly recommended  some  of  them.^ 

SAMUEL    COLUBER,  DOUBTS    THE    DOCTRWE    OF    ENDLESS    MISERY^ 

XXVI.  We  turn  from  De  Foe,  Watts,  Doddridge,  and 
Young,  to  a  class  of  writers  who  have  treated  the  subject 
of  man's  future  destiny  more  philosophically  than  they  ; 
and  here  introduce  the  name  of  a  not  very  conspicuous 
individual,  Samuel  Colliber,  who  wrote  and  caused  to  be 
issued  a  work  entitled  "  An  important  Inquiry  into  the 
Existence  and  Nature  of  God."  The  third  edition  appeared 
in  London  in  1735,  and  the  first  as  early  as  I'TIS.  It  was 
a  modest  essay  towards  a  more  intelligible  account  of  the 
divine  perfections.  It  contained  criticisms  on  several 
authors,  ancient  and  modern,  and  particularly  on  some 
passages  in  Dr.  Clarke's  work  entitled,  "Demonstrations 
of  the  being  and  attributes  of  God."  Colliber  evidently  be- 
lieved in  a  very  severe  punishment  hereafter,  and  in  the 
necessity  of  its  being  preached.  Men,  he  thought,  would 
not  be  sufficiently  moved,  by  the  present  rewards  of  virtue 
or  punishments  of  vice.  Still  he  did  not  believe  that  pun- 
ishment will  be  eternal.  The  fearful  descriptions  which 
we  find  in  the  Bible  were  designed  to  arouse  the  unthink- 
ing ;  and  while  he  did  not  believe  in  the  endless  duration 
of  torture,  he  thought  there  would  be  a  suflScient  difference 
between  the  states  of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  to  com- 
pensate for  the  apparent  inequalities  in  the  providence  of 
God,  which  he  thought  he  discovered  in  the  present  w©rld. 
Speaking  on  this  subject,  he  says,  "  That  no  natural  means 
can  be   imagined  more  directly  to  tend  to  the  preventing 

*  See  the  Life  of  Ellianan  Wmchester,  by  Vidler,  p.41. 

19 


218  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV 

tliis  greatest  of  evils,  and  by  consequence  to  the  attaining 
the  chief  end  of  the  most  wise  and  beneficent  governor  of 
the  world  than  the  allurements  of  rewards  and  terrors  of 
punishments,  is,  I  think,  too  clear  to  be  doubted.  Virtue 
is  indeed  in  some  respects,  its  own  reward  ;  and  vice,  since 
it  naturally  tends  to  make  us  unhappy,  may  be  said  to  be 
its  own  punishment.  But  of  this  we  are  usually  either  verj' 
little  sensible,  or  possessed  with  an  opinion  of  the  contrary. 
We  find  by  experience  that  the  inward  satisfaction  which 
springs  from  acts  of  charity  and  humanity,  would  prove 
but  a  faint  encouragement  to  most  men,  without  the  hope 
of  glory  and  applause,  or  some  other  recompense.  And 
on  the  contrary  the  regret  that  attends  an  ill  or  barbarous 
action,  would  be  very  ineffectual  to  restrain  a  Robber  or 
a  Murderer,  without  the  additional  terror  of  a  wheel  or  a 
gibbet.  For  which  reason  the  Sci'iptures  accommodated 
themselves  to  our  insensibility,  and  rouse  us  from  our  leth- 
argy by  all  the  charms  of  happiness  and  terror  of  misery. 
They  promise  us  no  less  than  an  Eternity  of  happiness  in  a 
future  state  as  a  reward  for  our  endeavoring  to  render  our- 
selves and  others  happy  by  our  obedience  in  the  present 
state,  and  though  we  should  persuade  ourselves  that  the 
account  the  Scriptures  give  of  the  severity  and  endless 
duration  of  the  state  of  misery,  with  which  they  threaten 
disobedience,  was  proposed  to  us  by  the  most  wise  gover- 
nor of  the  world,  only  for  the  better  securing  the  most 
beneficent  ends  of  his  government,  by  striking  a  greater 
terror  into  the  less  sensible  part  of  mankind  ;  yet  we  may 
not  doubt  but  the  difference  between  those  two  states  will 
be  such  as  shall  (at  least)  make  the  necessary  compensa- 
tion for  the  present  unequal  distribution  of  things.  Of  the 
reasonableness  of  such  compensation  the  very  heathens 
were  generally  convinced.  Their  Metamorphoses  and  Trans- 
Tnigrations  were,  for  the  most  part,  no  other  than  hypotheses 
invented  to  solve  the  honor  of  the  divine  government  by 
future  retributions.     And  many  of  their  wisest  theorists 


A.  D.  1735.  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  219 

observing  so  faint  an  impression  the  severest  penalties, 
when  under  the  notion  of  future,  are  wont  to  make  on  the 
minds  of  men,  concluded  it  necessary  to  represent  the  pen- 
alties of  the  future  state  to  be  not  only  the  most  severe, 
but  endless  and  irremediable.  Of  this  the  Epicurean  poet 
Socretius  is  an  unexceptionable  witness  ;  who  pretends  the 
fear  of  eternal  punishment  to  have  been  the  original  of  all 
Eeligion."  * 

R.    KOACH,    B.    D.,    A    UNIVERSALIST. 

XXVII,  This  writer  was  an  open  and  unqualified  believer 
in  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men.  He  was  pro- 
bably a  clerg3'man  of  the  established  church.  The  only  book 
of  his  which  we  have  seen,  is  entitled,  "  The  Imperial  Stand- 
ard of  Messiah  Triumphant,  coming  now  in  the  power  and 
kingdom  of  his  Father,  to  reign  with  his  Saints  on  Earth." 
Published  in  London,  about  1Y30.  This  is  clearly  and 
thoroughly  a  Universalist  work,  advocating  without  fear 
or  any  kind  of  concealment,  the  great  and  glorious  doctrine 
of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men.  One  chapter  especially 
is  devoted  to  the  confirmation  of  that  doclriue.  See  pp. 
189-204.  The  author  first  proves  the  doctrine  from  the 
attributes  of  God,  and  from  the  Scriptures,  and  then 
answers  the  principal  objections  against  it.  Some  persons, 
in  his  day,  had  argued  the  absolute  eternity  of  misery  from 
the  words  of  Solomon,  Eccle.  xi.  3  :  "  In  the  place  where 
the  tree  falleth,  there  it  shall  lie."  To  this  he  replied  in 
the  following  terms  : 

"  However,  let  it  be  granted,  for  argument's  sake  according  to  the  other 
interpretation,  that  '  as  the  tree  falls  so  it  lies; '  or,  that  into  whatever 

*  Impartial  Inquiry,  London,  1735,  pp.  130,  131.  Mr.  Adam,  in  his 
Religious  World  Displayed,  puts  down  Mr.  CoUiber  as  an  undoubte-d 
Universalist.  See  vol.  iii.  p.  3S8.  Of  CoUiber's  works  we  have  seen  the 
"  Impartial  Inquiry  "  from  which  the  above  extract  has  been  macle  and 
"Two  Essays  on  Natural  and  Revealed  Religion,"  &c.,  &c.  London, 
1720.  Although  this  writer  did  not  believe  in  eternal  punistment,  as  many 
hold  it,  yet  lie  believed  in  the  eternal  loss  of  the  heavenly  felicity,  which 
■would  be  the  cause  of  endless  tegret,  or  a  kind  of  negative  punishment. 


220  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

state  the  soul  enters  after  death,  there  it  continues;  it  will  by  no  means 
hence  follow,  that  it  must  continue  there/brei'er,  in  a  strict  sense;  or  that 
the  preacher  here  undertakes  to  determine  the  point  how  long  it  is  to  con- 
tinue, it  being  enough  for  the  argument  thence  to  be  drawn,  that  the  soul 
has  then  no  present  opportunity  of  exei'cising  this  grace,  but  is  gone  into 
the  state  of  receiving  the  award  of  its  merits  or  demerits,  without  regard 
to  the  duration  or  degree  of  punishment  in  the  latter.  But  as  '  a  tree 
falling  '  has  no  power  to  raise  itself,  yet,  if  an  artist,  a  carpenter,  shall 
raise  it,  it  may  be  prepared,  iitted  and  adapted  into  a  building,  or  serve 
to  other  good  uses;  so,  a  soul  falling  into  a  state  of  suffering,  awarded  by 
the  justice  of  God,  though  it  may  have  no  power  to  raise  itself,  yet,  as 
the  mercy  of  God  and  the  power  of  grace  shall  be  extended  to  it,  it  may  be 
raised,  prepared  and  adapted  into  the  temple  building  of  God,  and  become 
a  member  of  the  church  or  body  of  Christ.* 

Nor,  lastly,  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  Solomon,  with  all  his  wisdom, 
should  possess  the  knowledge  of  the  secret  decree  of  God,  concerning  the 
utmost  latitude  of  grace,  he  being  but  under  the  laiv;  and  such  a  manifes- 
tation rather  belonging  to  the  dispensation  oithe  gospel  in  full,  as  the  due 
time  for  its  testitication.^ 

'  All  things  are  of  God,  of  whom  are  all  things; '  and  as  they  all  existed 
in  his  eternal  idea,  so  he  could  have  no  immediate  regard  to  himself  in 
producing  them.  Goodness,  therefore,  or  benevolence,  must  have  been 
the  chief  spring  of  action  in  the  Deity,  in  the  work  of  creation,  and  espe- 
cially that  of  his  rational  offspring. 

Thus  the  eye  of  prophesy  looks  through  and  beyond  the  general  judg- 
ment at  the  end  of  this  world,  and  the  execution  of  its  sentence  on  the  im- 
penitent, and  represents  another  judgment  seat,  whereon  love  divine  shall 
sit  triumphant  and  siipreme,  with  which  justice,  now  fully  satisfied,  shall 
coalesce  and  combine,  pronouncing  the  general  sentence  of  release  and 
amnesty,  and  absorbing  all  into  itself  as  into  a  boundless  and  unfathom- 
able ocean;  when  all  rational  natures  &\\Vi\\  have  passed  through  their 
several  states  of  purification  which  were  before  '  found  wanting,'  and  the 
long  lost  spii'it  shall  return  to  its  great  original ;  then  will  this  general 
redemption  be  accomplished,  and  the  mediating  ofiice  of  our  great  high 
priest  be  at  an  end,  for  he  will  then  deliver  up  the  kingdom  thus  com- 
pleted to  his  Father,  that '  God  may  be  all  in  aU! '" 

Roach  thus  maintains  that  God  must  be  all  in  all,  (1  Cor. 
XV.  28,)  in  the  fullest  sense.  God  is  all  love,  and  hence 
his  must  be  love  to  all.  The  proudest  wills  must  bow  before 
love.    The  author  maintained,  that  the  words  used  to  signify 

»  Idem,  pp.  193,  194.  2  Idem,  194. 


A.  D.  1735.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  221 

the  duration  of  punishment  may  have  a  limited  significa- 
tion. Various  passages,  which  have  been  used  to  prove 
the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  are  explained  in  the  work 
before  us,  consistently  with  Universalism  ;  for  it  was  the 
opinion  of  the  author  that  the  Bible  clearly  and  explicitly 
reveals  that  doctrine. 


MR.    WILLIAM    DUDGEON,  A    UNIVERSALIS!. 

XXVIII.  We  have  seen  no  writings  of  this  age  which 
approach  more  nearly  to  the  sentiments  of  the  Universalists 
of  our  own  time,  than  those  of  Mr.  William  Dudgeon, 
whose  philosophical  works  first  appeared  in  the  year  1732. 
We  have  looked  in  vain  to  all  the  common  sources  of 
biography  for  an  account  of  this  gentleman,  whom  we 
cannot  but  regard  as  a  profound  philosopher  in  the  science 
of  the  divine  government,  the  human  Avill,  the  moral  con- 
stitution and  the  destiny  of  man.  He  published  several 
dissertations,  the  first  of  which  was  a  consideration  of  the 
state  of  the  moral  world,  or  a  vindication  of  the  divine 
government  ;  showing  that  there  is  no  other  evil  in  the 
world  than  that  which  arises  from  the  necessary  imper- 
fections of  creatures  ;  and  that  this  life  is  a  state  of  dis- 
cipline, to  train  us  up  in  virtue,  by  which  we  are  fitted  for 
a  more  perfect  society,  capable  of  greater  happiness  in  a 
future  state  of  existence. 

In  replying  to  the  argument  that  vice  often"  flourishes 
and  virtue  often  falls  into  distress  in  this  world,  and  that 
therefore  the  former  must  be  punished  and  the  latter  re- 
warded hereafter,  he  said  : 

"Was  it  true  that  the  order  of  things  is  perverted  here,  this  argument 
drawn  from  it  in  proof  of  a  future  state,  in  which  all  things  are  to  be  set 
to  rights,  i^roveth  rather  the  contrary.  For  if  things  are  wrong  in  this 
state,  it  is  a  shrewd  presumption,  that  they  will  he  always  so,  else  they 
must  say  that  he  is  another  sort  of  governor  who  ruleth  in  the  next  state, 
than  he  who  governeth  in  this:  harmony,  order  and  design  must  be  begun 

19* 


222  MODERN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Bcok  IV. 

here;  else  we  can  never  expect  that  they  will  be  improving  in  the  other 
world.  So  that  upon  this  scheme  where  everything  is  as  good  as  can  be» 
there  being  no  other  disorder,  vice  or  misery,  but  what  necessarily  ariseth 
from  the  finite  and  imperfect  nature  of  creatures  in  this  their  state  of  in- 
fancy, wlio  are  still  improving  by  experience  and  discipline,  and  attaining 
greater  and  greater  degrees  of  perfection,  virtue  and  happiness,  which  of 
course  fits  them  for  a  more  perfect  society;  upon  this  scheme,  I  say,  a 
future  state  can  only  be  built.  This  added  to  the  natural  proofs  of  the 
soul's  immateriality  and  immortality,  and  to  that  brought  from  the  incon- 
sistency with  the  infinite  power,  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  Creator,  who 
made  creatures  to  be  happy,  to  annihilate  them,  and  so  deprive  them  of 
it,  will  amount  to  the  completest  demonstration  possible,  except  immedi- 
ate possession."  ^ 

Again,  he  says,  with  equal  discrimination  : 

"  This  state,  then,  cannot  be  called  a  state  of  trial,  seeing  the  Deity 
certainly  knows  what  all  his  creatures  will  do,  they  doing  no  other  thing 
than  what  he  designed  they  should  do. 

1  have  called  it  a  state  of  discipline  to  train  us  up  in  virtiie,  which  you 
see  it  is.  For  as  we  know  that  God,  who  is  perfectly  happy  of  himself, 
could  have  no  other  exciting  reason  to  create  us,  but  his  own  infinite 
goodness  to  make  us  happy,  it  is  impossible  that  it  could  be  otherwise, 
but  that  when  we  were  created  innocent  and  naked,  or  without  knowledge 
of  what  tended  to  our  happiness,  and  what  not,  we  should  be  sent  here  in 
our  imperfect  state  to  improve.  And  as  it  is  inconsistent  with  the  good- 
ness of  God,  who  made  us  to  be  happy,  with  his  wisdom,  who  could  con- 
trive the  means  to  it,  and  with  his  power  to  execute  them,  to  annihilate 
us,  and  so  deprive  us  of  it ;  we  may  certainly  conclude  that  he  will  take  us 
to  another  state,  when  we  are  fit  to  act  our  part  there,  where  we  will  be 
still  improving,  —  those  who  are  farthest  advanced  here  in  virtue  and 
knowledge  being  capable  of  the  greatest  hai^piness  in  the  next  state,  which 
is  a  strong  motive  to  excite  us  to  the  practice  of  virtue  in  this  life."  '^ 

The  second  dissertation  in  the  work  before  us,  is  entitled, 
"A  Letter  to  the  Author  of  the  State  of  the  Moral  World 
considered  ;  wherein  some  satisfying  account  is  attempted 
to  be  given  of  the  nature  of  virtue  and  vice,  the  origin  of 
moral  evil,  and  the  end  and  duration  of  future  punish- 
ment." This  dissertation  was  first  published  in  1*734. 
One  position  which  our  author  assumes  hero,  is, 

"  That  the  only  way  to  reconcile  the  admission  of  moral  evil  with  the 

*  Philosoph.  Works,  edition  of  17G5,  pp.  31,  32. 

2  I))id,pp.  41,42. 


A.  D.  1740.]  TJNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  223 

gOYcrnmenl  of  an  infinitely  wise  and  good  being,  is  by  saying,  that  it  is 
a  necessary  imperfection;  and  that  the  whole  of  our  duration,  both  in  this 
and  another  world,  is  a  state  of  discipline,  in  which  we  are  only  punished 
for  our  future  good  and  reformation ;  or  that  the  end,  the  only  end  con- 
sistent with  the  goodness  of  God  in  annexing  punishment  to  vice,  is  to 
make  us  wiser  and  better." 

In  one  part  of  his  dissertation,  this  author  seems  almost 
to  take  ground  against  the  existence  of  misery  in  the  future 
state,  though  perhaps  he  did  not  intend  to  be  strictly  so 
understood  : 

"I  shall  conclude  this  subject,  with  considering  some  other  arguments 
usually  ui'ged  in  favor  of  eternal  torments;  for,  though  perhaps  the  ab- 
surdity of  positive  punishments  may  be  granted,  yet  it  is  thought,  there 
are  other  reasons  that  lay  a  foundation  for  eternal  misery.  As,  first,  it  is 
alleged  by  some,  that  we  contract  habits  of  vice  here,  which  we  go  out  of 
this  world  hardened  in,  and  that  these  remain  equally  violent  in  another 
world;  and  that,  therefore,  since  we  then  want  the  object  of  their  gratifi- 
cation, we  must  of  course  be  forever  miserable.  But  to  this  the  answer  is 
very  easy;  for  who  does  not  see,  that  all  vicious  habits,  depend  entirely 
upon  the  body,  they  will  be  dropped  with  it  at  death.  And  in  this  appears 
evidently  the  necessity  of  death,  and  the  great  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
our  Creator  in  so  ordering  things,  that  whatever  habits  of  vice  we  con- 
tract here,  yet  we  can  carry  none  of  these  with  us  to  the  other  world ; 
whereas  our  improvements  in  knowledge  and  habits  of  virtue,  have,  as  I 
observed  before,  no  dependence  at  all  upon  the  body ;  even  those  vicious 
habits  that  are  commonly  thought  to  have  the  least  dependence  upon  the 
body,  pride,  anger,  envy,  resentment,  revenge,  &c.,  are  either  owing  to 
the  strength  of  some  selfish  passion,  or  to  a  mistake  of  ourselves  or 
others,  as  I  showed  before,  and  so  must  either  cease  at  death,  or  go  off,  as 
we  improve  in  knowledge,  goodness,  and  acquaintance  with  others."  pp. 
146,  147. 

He  concludes  his  reasonings  against  eternal  punishment 
by  saying  : 

"  The  only  remaining  argument  I  know  urged  for  everlasting  punishment, 
is  that  taken  from  the  New  Testament,  where  it  is  thought  to  be  plainly  as- 
serted. To  which  1  answer,  that  the  most  Orthodox  divines  allow,  that  the 
several  expressions  there  made  use  of  to  denote  the  misery  attending  vice  in 
another  world,  such  as  bad  men's  being  driven  from  the  presence  of  God; 
the  worm  that  never  dies,  lake  of  brimstone,  a  bottomless  pit,  everlasting, 
flaming,  and  unquenchable  fire,  utter  darkness,  smoke,  chains,  &c.,  are 


224  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IV 

merely  metaphorical,  and  must  indeed  be  so,  unless  the  most  inconsistent 
things  can  be  reconciled;  and,  therefore,  I  think  I  may  safely  conclude, 
that  all  the  stress  that  can  or  ought  to  be  laid  on  these  is,  that  misery 
must  be  forever  the  necessary  consequence  of  vice,  or  as  long  as  we  are 
finite  ci'eatui'es,  which  will  be  forever,  and  that  that  way  of  describing  the 
matter  is  calculated  on  for  popular  conceptions.  And  certainly  this  is  as 
just  and  natural  an  explication  of  the  word  everlasting,  as  is  that  which 
they  give  of  the  words  fire,  darkness,  worms,  chains,  &c. ,  or  of  the  em- 
blems under  which  heaven  is  represented,  feasting,  marrying,  &c.,  which 
are  all  short  and  temporary  actions.  But  if,  from  what  I  have  said  upon 
this  subject,  any  shall  still  think  fit  to  judge  me  no  Christian,  as  the  most 
part  are  taught  to  do  of  all  those  that  are  not  of  those  opinions  they 
reckon  Christianity,  all  I  can  do,  is  to  assure  such  that  I  am  a  sincere 
friend  to  Christianity,  as  taught  in  the  gospel,  and  particularly  in  the 
doctrines  of  its  founder,  which  are  as  difierent  from  those  taught  in  schools 
and  systems,  as  charity  is  from  bigotry,  and  more  a  friend  than  those  who 
have  fathered  such  doctrines  upon  it,  as  are  inconsistent  both  with  itself, 
and  with  common  sense."  pp.  153-155. 

Venn's  work  in  favor  of  endless  misery. 

XXIX.  A  work  of  which  we  can  make  no  great 
account,  appeared  in  1T40,  in  defence  of  the  doctrine  of 
endless  misery.  It  was  entitled,  "  The  Eternity  of  Hell 
Torments  asserted ;"  and  was  written  by  Rev.  Eichard 
Venn,  A.  M.,  at  one  time  Rector  of  St.  Antholin's,  London. 
He  aimed,  first,  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less torments,  and,  second,  to  justify  the  infliction  of  such 
torments.  In  the  third  place  he  answered  certain  objec- 
tions to  his  theory,  and  lastly  endeavored  to  show  what 
influence  the  doctrine  ought  to  have  on  our  lives  and  con- 
versation. He  makes  one  honest  confession  in  the  course 
of  his  pamphlet.  "  I  am  sensible  with  what  disadvantage 
we  plead  our  doctrine  against  its  adversaries,  who  upbraid 
us  that  our  sentiments  proceed  from  ill  nature." 

BISHOP    WARBURTOn's    DIVINE    LEGATION. 

XXX.  The  British  public  were  surprised  in  the  year 
1738,  by  the  appearance  of  a  work,  (written  by  one  of  the 
most  eminent  of  the  Bishops  of  the  Established  Church,) 


A.  D.  1740.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  225 

which  it  comes  within  our  province  to  notice,  although  it 
neithei-  explicitly  aflSrms  nor  denies  the  truth '  of  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  misery:  We  refer  to  Bishop  Warbiirton's 
Divine  Legation  of  Moses.  We  say  it  neither  explicitly 
denies  or  aflSrms  the  truth  of  that  doctrine  ;  though  the 
careful  reader  will  be  persuaded  that  the  learned  Bishop 
had  no  faith  in  it,  but  inclined  rather  to  the  contrary  belief 
of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men.  But  there  is  one  point 
on  which  he  was  fully  satified,  viz.  that  we  find  not  in  the 
Old  Testament  the  slightest  recognition  of  the  doctrine  of 
a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  either  endless 
or  limited.  He  argues  this  point  at  great  length.  He 
makes  it  the  key  stone  of  his  system.  Although  he  be- 
lieved in  the  doctrine  of  a  future  limited  punishment ; 
although  he  believed  such  a  doctrine  necessary  to  the 
welfare  of  civil  society  ;  and  although  he  believed  that  all 
the  wisest  of  the  ancient  law-givers  and  founders  of  civil 
policy  taught  that  doctrine,  still  (paradoxical  as  it  may 
seem)  he  sought  to  prove  that  the  religion  of  Moses  was 
divine,  from  the  omission  of  it.  His  system  was  this  : 
The  inculcating  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  rewards 
and  punishments,  is  necessary  to  the  well-being  of  civil 
society,  and  all  mankind,  especially  the  most  wise  and 
learned  nations  of  antiquity,  have  concurred  in  believing 
and  teaching  that  this  doctrine  was  of  such  use  to  civil 
society  ;  but  still  it  is  not  to  be  found  in,  nor  did  it  make  a 
part  of,  the  Mosaic  dispensation.  From  these  allegations 
he  made  the  inference,  that  the  Jewish  religion  never  could 
have  been  sustained  without  the  interposition  of  God,  who, 
in  the  place  of  the  doctrine  of  future  rewards  and  punish- 
ments, did  set  up  among  the  Jews,  by  special  providence, 
that  equal  order  of  things,  in  regard  to  virtue  and  vice, 
by  which  every  action  received  in  the  present  state  of 
being  a  just  recompense  of  reward.  Here  God's  own  hand 
was  even  more  visible  than  if  the  Jewish  religion  had  been 
founded  upon  the  wisdom  of  all  past  ages  ;  for  although 


226  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Book  IV. 

the  doctrine  of  future  rewards  and  punishments  is  true, 
and  is  so  necessary  that  no  civil  government  can  exist 
wiihout  it,  yet  by  the  special  providence  of  God,  the  Jewish 
religion  did  exist  without  it,  and,  therefore,  the  Jewish 
religion  was  divine.^ 

This  work  produced  no  small  excitement  at  the  time  of 
its  publication  ;  though  of  late  it  has  been  but  little  read. 
Some  writer  has  said,  it  smote  Trojan  and  Tyrian.  It  was 
a  two-handed  engine,  ready  to  batter  down  infidel  and  or- 
thodox alike,  if  they  ventured  to  oppose  an  obstacle  to  its 
autocratic  progress.  The  work  has  never  taken  a  place 
among  those  which  have  been  most  relied  on  to  prove  the 
truth  of  the  Old  Testament  books.  It  is  somewhat  remark- 
able that  it  did  not  occur  to  Bishop  Warburton,  if  the  doc- 
trine of  future  rewards  and  punishments  was  taught  among 
the  heathen,  and  formed  no  part  of  God's  religion  which 
he  bestowed  upon  the  Jews,  that  it  was  to  be  regarded  as 
a  heathen  doctrine  and  not  a  divine  one  ;  and  as  the  fact 
of  the  equality  of  God's  providence  among  mankind  was 
fully  taught  by  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  whether  this 
circumstance  should  not  lead  us  to  suspect  that  the  common 
notion  of  the  present  inequality  of  God's  ways  may  be  erro- 
neous. It  is  a  fact  that  while  Moses  never  sought  for 
sanctions  to  his  laws  in  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of 
rewards  and  punishments,  he  perpetually  alluded  to  an 
equal  providence  (a  Providence  which  dispensed  the  bless- 
ings and  curses  of  this  life  with  a  strict  reference  to  human 
conduct)  as  that  undfer  which  the  Israelites  were  living. 
He  gave  the  Jews  no  hint  that  the  doctrine  of  future  retri- 
bution was  true,  and  was  necessary  to  keep  civil  society 
together  ;  but  that  its  place  was  supplied  by  an  equal  prov- 
idence to  them,  which  no  other  nation  ever  did  or  would 
enjoy.  Those  nations,  who  beheld  God's  dealings  with 
the  Jews,  were  not  assured  that  God  dealt  with  others  on 
an  entirely  different  principle.     We  are  no  where  assured 

'  See  Divine  Legation,  edition,  London,  1811,  vol.  v.  p.  164. 


I 


\.  D.  1740.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  227 

in  the  gospel,  that  God  would  deal  with  men  on  very  dif- 
ferent principles  from  those  on  which  he  dealt  with  the 
Jews,  under  the  law  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  fact  that 
every  sin  was  adequately  punished  under  the  law,  was 
adduced  to  show  that  the  same  course  would  be  pursued 
by  the  great  Governor  among  the  nations,  under  the  gospel, 
the  milder  dispensation  of  his  grace. 

But  whatever  error  there  may  have  been  in  the  main 
argument  of  Bishop  Warburton,  there  was  one  part  which 
he  proved  in  the  most  conclusive  manner,  viz  :  that  there 
is  no  revelation  of  the  doctrine  of  future  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments in  the  Old  Testament  ;  that  although  that  doc- 
trine had  been  taught  by  heathen  legislators,  yet  there  is 
no  recognition  of  it  by  God,  in  the  religion  he  gave  to  Moses. 
Moses  had  been  prepared  by  his  Egyptian  education  to 
admit  that  doctrine  into  his  code  ;  but  acting  under  the 
direction  of  the  Almighty,  he  omitted  it  altogether.  And 
let  it  be  remembered,  that  it  was  not  omitted  as  a  truth 
that  was  sufficiently  known  before,  and  therefore  needed 
no  further  confirmation  ;  for  in  the  place  of  it  was  set  up 
the  fact  that  ever}''  deed  would  receive  a  just  recompense 
in  the  present  life,  and  that  the  ways  of  God  with  men  on 
the  earth  were  equal.  The  "Divine  Legation,"  had 
more  effect  to  convince  the  world  that  the  doctrine  of 
future  rewards  and  punishments  was  no  part  of  the  Old 
Testament  revelation,  than  that  any  other  proposition 
which  it  maintained  was  correct.  Bishop  Bull  had  inti- 
mated the  same  great  fact  concerning  the  Old  Testament  in 
his  Hai'mony  of  the  Apostles  ;  but  Bishop  Warburton  took 
up  the  subject  more  definitely  than  it  had  ever  been  done 
by  any  other  author,  argued  it  at  great  length,  examined 
all  the  passages  that  were  thought  to  favor  a  future  state 
of  rewards  and  punishments,  and  seems  to  have  set  the 
matter  completely  at  rest  that  that  doctrine  is  not  revealed 
under  the  ancient  religion  which  God  gave  to  man.  Speak- 
ing of  the  Old  Testament  from  Genesis  to  the  end  of  Ezekiel 


228  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

he  says: — "it  contains  a  very  circumstantial  history  of 
this  people  [the  Jews]  throughout  the  aforesaid  period.  It 
contains  not  only  the  history  of  public  occurrences,  but 
the  lives  of  private  persons  of  both  sexes,  and  of  all  ages, 
conditions,  characters,  and  complexions  ;  in  the  adventures 
of  virgins,  matipns,  kings,  soldiers,  scholars,  merchants, 
and  husbandmen.  All  these,  in  their  turns,  make  their  ap- 
pearance before  us.  They  are  given,  too,  in  every  circum- 
stance of  life ;  captive,  victorious ;  in  sickness,  and  in 
health  ;  in  full  security,  and  amidst  impending  dangers  ; 
plunged  in  civil  business,  or  retired  and  sequestered  in  the 
service  of  religion.  Together  with  their  story,  we  have 
their  compositions  likewise.  Here,  they  offer  up  to  the 
Deity  their  hymns  of  praise  ;  and  there  petition  for  their 
wants  ;  here,  they  urge  their  moral  precepts  to  their  co- 
temporaries  :  and  there,  they  treasure  up  their  prophecies 
and  predictions  for  posterity  ;  and  to  both,  denounce  the 
promises  -and  threatenings  of  heaven.  Yet  in  none  of 
these  different  circumstances  of  life,  in  none  of  these  vari- 
ous casts  of  composition,  do  we  ever  find  them  acting  on 
the  motives,  or  influenced  by  the  prospect  of  future  rewards 
and  punishments  ;  or  indeed,  expressing  the  least  hope,  or 
fear,  or  even  common  curiosity,  concerning  them.  But 
every  thing  they  do  or  say,  respects  the  present  life  only  ; 
the  good  and  ill  of  which  are  the  sole  objects  of  all  their 
pursuits  and  aversions.  Hear,  then,  the  sum  of  all :  The 
sacred  writings  are  extremely  various,  both  in  their  subject, 
style,  and  composition.  They  contain  an  account  of  the 
Creation,  and  origin  of  the  human  race  ;  the  history  of  a 
private  family,  of  a  chosen  people,  and  of  exemplary  men 
and  women.  They  consist  of  hymns  and  petitions  to  the 
Deity,  precepts  of  civil  life,  and  religious  prophecies  and 
predictions.  Hence  I  infer,  that  as,  amidst  all  this  variety 
of  writing,  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  man  never 
once  appears  to  have  had  any  share  in  this  people's 
thoughts,  it  never  did  indeed  make  part  of  their  religious 


A.  D.  1740.1  UNIVERSALTSM   IN  ENGLAND.  529 

opinions.  And  when,  to  all  this,  we  find  their  occasional 
reasoning  only  conclusive  on  the  supposition  that  a  future 
state  was  not  amongst  the  religious  doctrines  of  the  peo- 
ple, the  above  considerations,  if  they  need  any,  would 
receive  the  strongest  support  and  confirmation."^ 

BISHOP    WARBURTON    DID    NOT    BELIEVE   IN     ENDLESS    MISERY. 

XXXI.  As  to  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  Bishop  War- 
burton  seems  to  have  had  little  or  no  faith  in  it.  "  If  rea- 
son," says  he,  "  on  the  one  hand  seems  to  revolt  at  the 
thought  of  everlasting  punishment ;  (for,  as  God  is  the  re- 
warder  of  the  good,  we  must  conclude  the  apostle  would 
have  us  infer  that  he  is  the  punisher  of  the  bad,  since  this 
exercise  of  his  power  over  good  and  bad,  stands  on  the 
same  attributes  of  goodness  and  justice  ;)  If  reason,  I  say, 
doth  on  the  one  hand  seem  to  revolt  at  everlasting  punish- 
ment, we  must  confess  that  Fancy,  on  the  other,  (even 
when  full  plumed  by  Vanity,)  hath  scarce  force  enough  to 
rise  to  the  idea  of  infinite  rewards.  How  the  heart  of  man 
came  to  conceive  this  to  be  an  adequate  retribution  for  his 
right  conduct  during  the  short  trial  of  his  virtue  here, 
would  be  hard  to  tell,  did  we  not  know  what  monsters 
Pride  begat  of  old  upon  Pagan  philosophy ;  and  how  much 
greater  still  these  latter  ages  have  disclosed  by  the  long 
incubation  of  School  Divinity  upon  Folli/."^ 

He  disputed  the  doctrine  that  men  are  to  have  endless 
happiness  as  the  reward  of  their  good  deeds.  He  met  the 
advocates  of  such  a  theory  by  saying,  "  The  merit  of  ser- 

1  Divine  Legation,  Book  v.  Sec.  5.  Since  the  piiblication  of  Bishop 
Warburton's  work,  others  have  taken  the  snme  ground.  See  Dr.  Geo. 
Campbell's  Prelim.  Diss.  vi.  pai-t2.  Jahn's  Biblical  Archfeology,  Section 
314,  omitting  what  was  supplied  by  the  translator  at  Andover,  Mass.  Rev. 
H  H.  Milman,  in  his  History  of  the  Jews,  Harper's  edition,  1839,  vol.  1, 
pp.  116,  117.  Dr.  Paley  says,  of  the  Old  Testament,  "This  dispensation 
dealt  in  temporal  rewards  and  punishments;"  and  lie  adds,  that  the  bless- 
ings and  curses  promi.sed  by  Moses,  "  consisted  altogether  of  worldly 
benefits  and  worldly  punishments." 

2  Vol.  vi.  p.  251. 

20 


230  MODERN    HISTOEY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  IV. 

vice,  (say  these  men)  increases  in  proportion  to  the  excel 
lence  of  that  Being  to  whom  our  service  is  directed  and 
becomes  acceptable.  An  Infinite  Being,  therefore,  can 
dispense  no  rewards  but  what  are  infinite.  And  thus  the 
virtuous  man  becomes  entitled  to  immortality." 

"  The  misfoi-tune  is  that  this  reasoning  holds  equally  on 
the  side  of  the  unmerciful  doctors  as  they  are  called,  who 
doom  the  wicked  to  everlasting  punishment.  Indeed,  were 
this  the  only  discredit  under  which  it  labors,  the  merciless 
Doctors  would  hold  themselves  little  concerned.  But  the 
truth  is,  the  argument  from  infinity  proves  just  nothing : 
to  make  it  of  any  force,  both  parties  should  be  infinite. 
This  inferior  emanation  of  God's  Image,  Man,  should  be  su- 
premely good  or  supremely  bad,  a  kind  of  Deity  or  Devil. 
But  these  reasoners  in  their  attention  to  the  Divinity,  over- 
look the  Humanity,  which  makes  the  decrease  keep  pace 
with  the  accumulation,  till  the  rule  of  Logic  that  the  con- 
clusion follows  the  weaker  part,  comes  in  to  end  the  dis- 
putes."^ 

In  examining  the  texts  which  were  adduced  by  certain 
persons  to  prove  that  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punish- 
ments was  revealed  under  Moses,  he  says  : 

"  But  the  texts  of  texts,  the  precious  ones  indeed,  (alleged  by  those  who 
held,  against  Warburton,  that  a  future  life  was  revealed  under  Moses,) 
are  those  where  a  hell  is  mentioned;  as  here,  — '  thou  shalt  not  leave  my 
soul  in  hell.'  Ps.  xvi.  10.  And  of  this  orthodox  consolation  there  is  no 
scarcity  in  the  Old  Testament.  Mr  Whiston  assures  us,  '  it  is  almost  five 
times  as  often  mentioned  as  in  the  New.'  it  may  be  so.  However,  instead 
of  examining  into  the  justness  of  this  nice  calculation,  I  shall  choose 
rather  to  consider  what  is  to  be  understood  by  the  word,  than  how  often 
it  is  used.  Now  I  suppose  neither  I  nor  my  answers  can  have  any  reason- 
able objection  to  St.  John's  authority  in  this  matter;  who  speaking  in  the 
book  of  Revelation  of  the  useless  old  furniture  of  the  Law,  saj-s,  '  and 
death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire;  this  is  the  second  death.' 
Rev.  XX.  14.  From  hence  it  appears  that  the  hell  of  the  Old  Testament 
was  a  very  different  thing  from  the  hell  of  the  New,  called  the  lake  of  fire; 
since  the  one  is  made  the  punishment,  or  at  least  the  extinction  of  the 

»  Vol.  vi.  p.  253. 


A.  D.  1740.1  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  231 

other.  And  to  remove  all  doubt,  the  apostle,  we  see,  calls  this  casting 
into  the  lake,  a  second  death.  Must  not  then  the  lake  itself  be  a  second 
hell  ?  And  if  so,  could  the  first,  or  the  Old  Testament  hell  be  any  other 
than  the  grave  ?  The  next  words  tell  us  that  '  whosoever  was  not  found 
written  in  the  book  of  life,  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,'  ver.  15.  So  that 
the  sense  of  the  whole  seems  to  be  this,  that  at  the  consummation  of  things, 
(the  subject  here  treated  of,)  all  physical  and  moral  evil  suall  bb 

ABOLISHED."  * 

One  more  quotation  and  we  close.  The  good  Bishop 
published  a  Commentary  on  Pope's  Essay  on  Man,  in  which 
he  found  many  sentiments  congenial  to  his  own  opinions. 

"  Entering  upon  his  argument,  he  (Pope)  lays  down  this  self-evident 
proposition  as  the  foundation  of  his  thesis,  which  he  reasonably  supposes 
will  be  allowed  him: — That  of  all  possible  systems,  infinite  wisdom  hath 
formed  the  best."  ^ 

"  Though  the  system  of  the  best  supposes  that  the  evils  themselves  will 
be  fully  compensated  by  the  good  they  produce  to  the  whole,  yet  this  is  so 
far  from  supposing  that  particulars  shall  suffer  for  a  general  good,  that  it 
is  essential  to  this  system,  to  conclude  that  at  the  completion  of  things, 
when  the  whole  is  arrived  to  the  state  of  utmost  perfection,  particular  and 
universal  good  shall  coincide.'^ 

To  return  then  to  the  Poet's  argument,  he,  as  we  said,  bids  man  comfort 
himself  with  expectation  of  future  happiness,  and  shows  him  that  this  hope 
is  an  earnest  of  it:  "  But  first  of  all  he  puts  in  one  very  necessary  cau- 
tion, 

*'  Hope  humbly  then,  with  trembling  pinions  soar." 

And  provoked  at  those  miscreants,  whom  he  afterwards  (Ep.  iii.  1.  262,) 
describes  as  building  '  hell  on  spite  and  heaven  on  pride,'  he  upbraids 
them  (1.  94  to  109,)  with  the  example  of  the  poor  Indian,  to  whom  also 
nature  hath  given  this  common  hope  of  mankind.  But  though  his  un- 
tutored mind  had  betrayed  him  into  many  childish  fancies,  concerning  the 
nature  of  that  future  state,  yet  he  is  so  far  from  excluding  any  part  of  his 
own  species,  (a  vice  which  could  proceed  only  from  vain  science,  which 
pulfeth  up,)  that  he  humanely  admits  even  his  faithful  dog  to  bear  him 
company."  ^ 

»  Vol.  V.  p.  407.  2  Vol.  xi.p.  26.  3  Vol.  xi.  pp.  29,  30. 


232  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 


WORK    OP    AN    ENGLISH    COUNTESS. 

XXXII.  We  must  introduce  in  this  chapter  (perhaps 
out  of  place)  an  account  of  an  English  Countess,  spoken  of 
by  Petersen,  a  German  writer.  Petersen  took  a  very  deep 
interest  in  the  doctrine  of  the  restitution  of  all  things  ;  and 
we  shall  find  a  fuller  account  of  him  in  the  fifth  book  of 
this  history  : 

Her  work  is  entitled,  "Opuscula  Philosophica,  quihus  contineniur 
principia  philosopMce  antiquissim.ee  et  recentissimce."  Anno,  1690. 
"  This  work  "  says  Petersen,  "  was  written  by  an  English  Countess, 
who  is  much  praised  by  her  translator  as  a  woman  ultra  sexam 
erudita,  learned  beyond  her  sex ;  who  was  famihar  with  Greek  and 
Latin,    and    acquainted    with    the    whole    range   of    philosophy."^ 

"  Christ,"  says  our  authoress,  "  in  the  nature  of  man,  who  is  called 
a  microcosm,  took  upon  himself  the  nature  of  all  creatures ;  which 
nature,  being  assumed  in  flesh  and  blood,  he  sanctified,  that  by  it  he 
might  sanctify  all  things,  inasmuch  as  that  was,  as  it  were,  a  part  of 
the  leaven  for  leavening  the  whole  mass.  Then  he  descended  into 
time,  and  for  a  certain  period,  by  his  own  will,  subjected  himself  to 
the  laws  of  time,  for  the  purpose  of  undergoing  great  miseries  and 
even  death  itself.  But  death  could  not  long  detain  him ;  for  on  the 
third  day  he  rose  again  ;  and  all  his  sufferings  ended  here  with  his 
death  and  burial,  that  he  might  heal  and  restore  the  creatures'  cor- 
ruption and  death,  which  came  upon  them  from  the  fall,  that  by  this 
means  he  might  at  length  put  an  end  to  the  temporal,  and  raise  crea- 
tures above  the  temporal  to  himself,  where  He  dwells,  who  is  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever,  beyond  the  reach  of  injury,  corruption 
or  death.  In  like  manner,  in  his  spiritual  and  internal  manifestation, 
by  which  he  decreed  to  save,  care  for,  and  restore  their  souls,  he  also 
subjected  himself  in  a  certain  degree  to  sufferings  and  death,  inas- 
much as  he,  for  a  limited  space,  submitted  to  the  laws  of  the  tem- 
poral, that  he  might  raise  the  souls  of  men  above  the  temporal  and 
the  corruptible  to  himself,  in  whom  they  receive  blessings,  and 
grow  by  degrees  in  goodness  and  virtue  and  happiness  ad  infini- 
tum." p.  39. 

•  See  Petersens  Mysterion  Apokatastasis,  &c.     Vol.  i.  p.  85. 


A.  D,  1740.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  233 

"  Since  there  is  no  existence  that  is  in  all  respects  contrary  to 
God,  (i.  e.  nothing  made  which  is  infinitely  and  immutably  evil,, as 
God  is  infinitely  and  immutably  good  ;  nothing  infinitely  and  immuta- 
bly dark,  as  God  is  infinitely  and  immutably  light ;  and  nothing  infi- 
nitely and  immutably  body,  having  nothing  of  spirit,  as  God  is  infinite- 
ly and  immutably  spirit,  having  nothing  of  body,)  hence  it  is  manifest 
that  no  creature  becomes  more  and  more  body  ad  infinitum ;  although 
it  may  become  more  and  more  spirit  ad  infinitum  ;  neither  can  any- 
thing become  more  and  more  darkness  forever,  although  it  may 
become  more  and  more  light  ad  infinitum;  so  likewise  ca7i  iiothirig 
become  evil  more  and  morefiorever,  although  it  may  become  better  and 
better  ad  infinitum.  Thus  in  the  nature  of  things,  certain  limits  are 
fixed  to  evil,  but  none  to  good ;  and  in  the  same  manner  every  degree 
of  evil  or  sin  has  its  appropriate  punishment,  pain  or  chastisement 
annexed  to  it,  in  the  nature  of  things,  by  •which  evil  is  again  changed 
into  good ;  which  punishment  or  chastisement,  although  not  imme- 
diately recognized  by  the  creature  when  he  sins,  is  nevertheless  pre- 
served in  the  very  sins  which  he  commits,  and  in  due  time  shall 
make  itself  manifest ;  and  then  every  sin  shall  have  its  own  punish- 
ment, and  sorrow  and  chastisement  shall  be  received  by  the  creature, 
and  through  it  the  creature  shall  be  again  converted  into  his  pristine 
state  of  goodness,  in  which  he  was  created,  and  from  which  he  shall 
no  more  fall,  because  by  his  severe  chastisement  he  has  acquired 
greater  perfection  and  strength,  and  from  that  indifference  of  will, 
which  he  formerly  possessed,  to  good  or  evil,  he  has  arisen  to  such  a 
height  that  he  only  wills  good,  nor  is  any  longer  able  to  wish  what  is 
evil.  And  hence  it  may  be  inferred  that  all  the  creatures  of  God 
which  have  fallen  and  degenerated  from  their  primitive  goodness, 
must  after  certain  periods  be  converted  and  restored  to  a  state,  not 
only  as  good  as  that  in  which  they  are  created,  but  to  one  even 
better. 

The  common  notion  of  the  justice  of  God,  that  every  sin,  be 
it  ever  so  little,  is  punished  by  infernal  fire,  and  that  without  end, 
begets  in  men  a  horrible  idea  of  God,  as  if  he  were  rather  a  cruel 
tyrant  than  a  kind  Father  to  all  his  creatures.  But  if  the  amiable 
representation  of  God  should  become  better  known,  as  it  exists  in 
truth,  and  as  it  is  manifested  in  all  his  dispensations  to  his  creatures ; 
and  if  our  minds  should,  in  their  inward  sense  and  relish,  recognize 
him  as  love  and  kindness  itself,  such  as  he  inwardly  reveals  himself 
to  the  hearts  of  men  through  the  light  and  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ, 
20* 


234  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  IV. 

our  Lord  ;  then  and  not  till  then,  will  men  love  God  above  all  things, 
and  acknowledge  him  to  be  the  most  just,  as  well  as  the  most 
compassionate  and  adorable  of  all  beings,  who  is  incapable  of  pun- 
ishing all  sinners  with  equal  punishment.  And  this  punishment 
must  be  equal,  if  an  infinite  duration  of  punishment  in  a  lake  burn- 
ing with  brimstone,  awaits  sin,  however  one  may  be  punished  more 
mildly  and  another  more  severely."  p.  63. 

But  as  all  the  punishments  inflicted  by  God  upon  his  creatures 
have  some  proportion  to  their  sins,  so  aU  these,  even  the  worst  not 
excepted,  tend  to  their  gpod  and  restoration,  thus  resemble  medicines 
designed  to  cure  the  diseases  of  those  creatures,  and  restore  them  to 
a  better  condition  than  they  previously  possessed."  p.  66. 

RETROSPECTION. 

XXXIIT.  We  have  thus  closed  the  fourth  book  of  our 
history.  It  is  important  to  observe,  that  a  perfect  free- 
dom had  been  granted  in  the  Established  Church,  for  those 
vpho  subscribed  the  articles,  to  take  what  ground  they 
pleased  on  the  question  of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men.^ 
Ever  since  the  article  Non  omnes  tandem  servandi,  the 
42d  of  the  articles  adopted  under  Edward  VI.  was  omit- 
ted [which  took  place  under  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  when 
the  articles  were   reduced  to  XXXIX,]    there  has    been 

*  An  English  writer  states,  "  It  is  a  consolatory  fact  that  the  doctrine  of 
eternal  torment  has  been  losing  ground  since  the  Reformation.  The  Refor- 
mers inherited  it  from  the  Churcli  of  Rumc,  and  might  assert  it  with  the 
more  vehemence,  and  apply  it  the  more  largely  in  order  to  shew  their 
opposition  to  purgatory,  a  sort  of  remedial  pain;  but  Dr.  Estlin  suggests 
(p.  50  note  London  Ed.  18! 3)  that  the  most  convincing  evidence  we  have 
of  even  Calvin's  belief  of  it,  is  his  burning  Servetus.  The  tremendous  doc- 
trine is  certainly  not  contained  in  the  articles  of  the  Church  of  England; 
it  was  asserted  in  the  XLII.  articles,  settled  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VI., 
but  was  happily  rejected  when  the  number  of  articles  was  redujed  to 
XXXIX.  In  the  Athanasian  Creed  it  may  indeed  be  implied,  but  it  would 
be  unjust  to  determine  the  foith  of  the  National  Church  frum  a  formulary 
of  wliicli  all  its  enlightened  and  liberal  members  have  long  been  ashamed. 
The  must  zealous  advocates  of  the  doctrine  are  to  be  found  among  the  Meth- 
odists; but  the  zeal  of  most  of  them  has  of  late  cooled  upon  this  point, 
and  not  a  few  of  them  embrace  the  opinion  of  final  happiness  to  all.  On 
what  other  HniJ])ositi<)ii,  cm  they  maintain  the  ultimate  triumphs  of  divine 
grace,  the  efficacy  of  the  cross  of  Christ  and  tlie  fidfilmcnt  of  the  prophecy 
that  in  the  Messiah  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be  blessed."  Month. 
Repository,  vol.  x.  p.  04. 


A.  D.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  235 

great  liberty  in  the  Established  Church,  as  to  faith  in 
Universalism.  We  see  the  efiect  in  the  enlarged  and  open- 
hearted  love  in  which  Dr.  More,  and  Archbishop  Tillotson, 
Dr.  Barrow,  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet,  William  Whiston,  and 
others,  wrote  upon  the  subject.  In  fltct  certain  persons 
have  taken  ground  that  the  fair  construction  of  some  of  the 
articles  favors  the  belief  in  the  final  holiness  of  all.  The 
thirty-first  article,  for  instance,  reads  in  this  wise, — 

"  Of  the  one  oblation  of  Christ  finished  upon  the  cross. 

"  The  offering  of  Christ  once  made  is  that  perfect  redemption,  propitia- 
tion, and  satisfaction  for  all  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  both  original  and 
actual,  and  there  is  none  other  satisfaction  for  sin  but  that  alone.  Where- 
fore the  sacrifices  of  Masses  in  which  it  was  commonly  said,  that  the  Priest 
did  offer  Christ  for  the  quick  and  the  dead,  to  have  remission  of  pain  or 
guilt  were  blasphemous  fables  and  dangerous  deceits." 

The  consecration  prayer  in  the  communion  service  ex- 
presses the  same  sentiment  — 

"  All  glory  be  to  thee,  Almighty  God,  our  heavenly  Father,  for  that 
thou  of  thy  tender  mercy  didst  give  thine  only  son  Jesus  Christ  to  suffer 
death  upon  the  cross,  for  our  redemption,  who  made  there  by  his  one  ob- 
lation of  himself  once  offered,  a  full,  perfect,  and  sufi&cient  saciifice,  satis- 
faction, and  oblation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 

A  certain  writer  has  said, — 

"  It  appears  to  me  that  it  would  be  difficult  for  the  most  strenuous  ad- 
vocate of  the  doctrine  of  universal  salvation,  to  invent  phraseology  more 
direct  for  his  purpose  than  what  is  here  supplied.  A  full,  perfect,  and 
sufficient  sacrifice,  oblation,  and  satisfaction  for  all  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  both  original  and  actual.  If  the  offering  of  Christ  by  the  Priest 
in  the  masses  for  the  quick  and  the  dead,  for  the  remission  of  pain  and 
guilt,  is  accounted  a  blasphemous  fable  and  a  dangerous  deceit  by  the 
Episcopal  Church,  how  much  more  blasphemous  a  fable  and  dangerous  a 
deceit  is  that  doctrine  that  declares  that  notwithstanding  all  that  Christ 
has  done  and  suttered,  the  greater  portion  of  the  human  family  shall  be  the 
subjects  of  endless  pain  and  endless  guilt  ? 

How  far  the  belief  in  the  final  redemption  of  all  men  had  obtained  in 
the  Church  at  the  time  the  Thirty-Nine  Articles  were  ratified  by  the  bish- 
ops and  clergy,  it  may  be  impossible  to  say,  but  one  fact  is  beyond  all 
dispute,  that  there  were  originally  forty-two  articles,  and  the  last  three, 
in  their  revision  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabetli,  were  stricken  out,  leav- 
ing it  to  the  clergy  and  laity  to  enjoy  their  own  opinions  on  the  contested 


236  MODERN    HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  Book  IV. 

points  therein  contained.  The  forty-second,  which  condemned  the  doc- 
trine of  final  salvation  read  as  follows, — 

"  Art.  42.     All  men  not  to  be  saved  at  last. 

"  They  also  deserve  to  be  condemned  who  endeavor  to  restore  that  per- 
niftious  opinion,  that  all  men  (though  never  so  ungodly,)  shall  at  last  be 
saved;  when  for  a  certain  time  appointed  by  the  divine  justice,  they  have 
endured  punishment  for  their  sins  committed." 

There  are  several  things  worthy  of  notice  in  this  article,  from  which  we 
cannot  but  believe  that  the  doctrine  of  the  final  restoration  had  taken  a 
deep  root  and  prevailed  extensively.  The  Article  was  written  with  great 
moderation.  It  says  simply  "  they  deserve  to  be  condemned."  It  calls  the 
doctrine  not  a  damnable  heresy,  but  merely  "  a  pernicious  opinion."  It 
speaks  of  "restoring"  this  opinion,  as  though  it  had  been  rife  in  the 
Church.  But  though  the  article  was  thus  moderate  and  forbearing,  such 
was  the  general  feeling  in  favor  of  the  great  salvation,  that  it  was  deemed 
best  to  expunge  it,  and  allow  Universalists  to  come  into  communion  with 
the  Church.    An  example  worthy  of  imitation,  says  Mr.  Le  Fevre. 

The  following  is  the  form  of  the 

katification: 

"  This  book  of  articles  before  rehearsed,  is  again  approved  and  allowed 
to  be  holden  and  executed  within  the  Realm,  by  the  assent  and  consent  of  ■ 
our  Sovereign  Lady  Elizabeth,  by  the  grace  of  God,  of  England,  France, 
and  Ireland,  Queen,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  &c.  Which  articles  were  de- 
liberately read  and  confirmed  again  by  the  subscription  of  the  hands  of 
the  Archbishop  and  Bishops  of  the  Upper  House,  and  by  the  subscription 
of  the  whole  clergy  in  the  Nether  House,  in  their  Convention  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  God,  1571." 

While  th&seyixc^s  exist  it  would  ill  become  the  members  of  the  Episcopal 
Church  to  entertain  intolerant  feelings  towards  those  professing  the  faith 
of  Universal  salvation.  Such  conduct  on  their  parts  would  place  them 
back  three  hundred  years,  and  the  path  of  the  Church  instead  of  being 
illuminated  by  that  sun  "  which  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect 
day,"  would  begetting  into  deeper  and  deeper  shades  and  at  last  be  lost 
in  darkness. 

The  believer  in  Universalism  has  no  reason  to  regret  the 
lives  of  those  men  who  came  forward,  in  the  time  embraced 
in  this  chapter,  to  speak  against  the  dogma  of  endless 
torture,  thus  to  drive  away  the  dark  clouds  of  distrust  in 
the  divine  goodness,  and  to  kindle  up  a  bright  hope  of  the 
ultimate  salvation  of  all  men.  Behold  Dr.  Henry  More, 
one  of  the  mildest,  wisest  and  meekest  of  men  ;  see  Arch- 


A.  D.  1735.  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  237 

bishop  Tillotson,  the  learned,  the  just,  the  derout,  the 
excellent,  who  stands  pre-eminent  above  all  who  ever 
graced  the  See  of  Canterbury  ;  see  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet,  the 
learned,  the  indefatigable,  the  truly  independent  man,  who 
dax'ed  even  to  resist  the  will  of  his  King,  in  a  time  of  great 
public  excitement  and  danger,  when  commanded  to  do 
what  he  thought  was  wrong,  —  see  with  what  energy, 
directness  and  love  he  opposed  the  doctrine  of  endless 
sufferings ;  see  Whiston,  familiarly  called  honest  William 
Whiston,  denying  directly  and  plainly  the  fact  of  the  eter- 
nity of  hell  torments.  Some  there  were,  undoubtedly, 
like  Sir  Isaac  Newton  and  Dr.  Samuel  Clarke,  who  dis- 
believed the  doctrine  in  question,  though  they  said  but 
little  upon  the  subject.  See  how  the  most  pious  minds 
have  been  troubled  with  that  doctrine,  as  in  the  case  of 
Dr.  Watts,  Dr.  Doddridge  and  Dr.  Edward  Young.  The 
fierce  times  of  fire  and  faggot  had  passed  away,  and  the 
appeal  was  made  in  the  time  of  which  we  speak  to  the 
Scriptures,  to  reason,  to  philosophy,  to  history.  All  be- 
lieved in  the  future  life,  but  few  saw  the  sublime  doctrine  of 
the  restoration  into  the  immortal  state  as  taught  by  Paul,  and 
the  greater  teaclier,  Jesus.  It  is  pleasant  as  we  pass  along 
through  this  chapter  to  see  the  times  mitigating.  How 
great  a  fact,  and  how  much  influence  has  it  had  upon  the 
religious  world,  viz.  that  the  condemnation  of  Uuiversalism 
at  one  time  embraced  in  the  articles,  was  subsequently 
stricken  from  them.  The  influence  of  that  fact  has  con- 
tinued to  this  day. 

We  must  here  leave  the  History  of  Universalism  in 
England,  and  proceed  to  trace  the  progress  of  that  doctrine 
on  the  Continent  of  Europe. 


I 


BOOK      V. 

CHAPTER   I. 

HISTORY    OF  TTNIVERSALISM  IN  GEEMANY  COFriNUED. 

From  A.  D.  1650  to  1850. 

Recapitulation  ;    History   in  Germany  resumed;  Postell;   Camphuysen; 

^  Samuel  Huber;  Ernest  Sonner;  Angelus  Marianus;  Peter  Serarius; 
Petersen;  Entretiens  sur  la  Restitution;  The  Eighteenth  Century ;  His- 
tory by  Dietelmair;  The  Everlasting  Gospel  by  Klein-Nicolai,  or  Sieg- 
\olk;  Mosheim  opposes  Universalism ;  Gerhard  defends  that  doctrine; 
Siegvolk  still  in  the  field;  Schlitte's  reply  to  Mosheim;  The  Controversy 
for  the  y?ars  1740  to  1750;  Latter  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Century,  and 
the  Writers  for  and  against  Universalism  during  that  time;  Kant;  Jung 
Stilling;  Doederlein;  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

BECAPITULATION  OF  THE  CONTENTS  OF  BOOK  I. 

I.  In  our  first  Book,  in  this  volume,  we  treated  of  the  His- 
tory of  Universalism  in  Germany.  It  is  at  the  epoch  of 
the  Reformation  that  the  History  of  Universalism  is  divid- 
ed into  Ancient  and  Modern.  That  doctrine  made  its 
appearance  very  soon  after  the  excitement  of  the  Refor- 
mation begun.  The  Catholic  Church  was  very  corrupt. 
It  was  fast  sinking  by  the  weight  of  its  own  wickedness ; 
and  if  the  Reformation  had  not  begun,  under  the  power  of 
God's  spirit  and  truth,  and  the  labors  of  his  true  servants, 
it  seems  almost  as  if  true  religion  would  utterly  have  been 

241 


242  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.     |BookT.  Ch,  L 

lost  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  The  principles  on  which 
the  Reformation  was  founded,  gave  rise  to  Universalism. 
The  Bible  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  people,  translated 
into  their  common  language,  and  they  were  urged  to  read 
it  and  exercise  their  own  reason  in  understanding  it.  As 
a  barrier  against  the  spread  of  the  Catholic  doctrine  of 
purgatory,  the  dogma  of  endless  misery  was  sustained 
by  most  of  the  leading  Reformers  ;  but  Luther  had  not  un- 
doubting  faith  in  that  dogma.  Universalism  sprung  up 
among  the  minor  sects,  such  as  the  different  classes  of 
Anabaptists.  They  were  not  all  to  be  judged  by  the 
same  rules.  Some  were  peaceable,  som_e  were  violent ; 
some  were  good  citizens,  some  were  seditious  ;  but  such 
was  the  state  of  the  times,  that  they  all  were  involved  in 
a  common  ruin.  They  were  slaughtered  indiscriminately  ; 
and  the  survivors  fled,  spreading  their  opinions  wherever 
they  went. 

HISTOBY    OF    UNIVERSAUSM   IN    GERMANY    RESUMED. 

II.  We  come  now  to  resume  the  history  in  Germany. 
In  the  times  of  the  Reformation,  David  George,  John 
Denkius,  Lewis  Hetzer  and  Stanislaus  Pannouius  stood 
forward  as  defenders  of  the  doctrine  of  the  final  happiness 
of  all  men.  See  Book  I,  pp.  53-61.  After  these  came 
John  Scalidecker,  Franciscus  Georgious,  Franciscus  Mer- 
curius,  William  Postell  and  others. 

Bering  speaks  of  Postell  as  one  of  the  most  learned 
men,  as  well  as  one  of  the  greatest  fanatics  and  dreamers, 
contradictory  as  this  may  seem.  He  was  born  in  Nor- 
mandy in  1510,  lost  his  parents  in  his  eighth  year,  and  in 
his  thirteenth  became  a  village  school-master,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  earning  money  to  go  to  Paris  to  acquire  an  educa- 
tion. But  misfortunes  attended  him.  He  was  first  robbed, 
then  fell  sick  and  lay  two  years  in  an  hospital.  After  this 
he  went  into  the  field   to  glean,  for  the  purpose  of  buying 


A.  D.  1550.]  UNTVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  243 

clothes,  and  to  gratify  his  unconquerable  desire  to  study  at 
Paris.  Then  he  entered  service  in  the  College  of  Saint 
Barbara,  and  acquired  without  a  teacher  the  Hebrew  and 
Greek  languages.  The  post  of  teacher  was  ofiered  him 
in  Portugal,  but  he  rejected  it,  saying  that  he  had  too  much 
himself  to  learn.  With  the  French  Ambassador  he  made 
two  journeys  to  Constantinople,  perfected  himself  in  the 
Greek,  learned  the  Arabic,  and  brought  many  Arabic  manu- 
scripts back  with  him,  from  which  Ferdinand  I.  caused  the 
oldest  Syriac  translation  of  the  New  Testament  to  be  pub- 
lished at  Vienna  in  1555.  He  was  subsequently  appointed 
Eoyal  Professor  of  Oriental  languages  in  France,  and 
received  a  pension  from  the  Queen  of  Navarre." 

Bering  says  further,  "  He  was  an  independent  thinker, 
and  most  of  his  writings  contain  much  that  is  good  and 
much  that  is  unexpected.  His  views  were  honest  and  his 
morals  blameless.  Nor  was  everything  laid  to  his  charge 
well  founded.  He  was  neither  a  denier  of  God,  nor  an 
enemy  of  the  Christian  Religion,  but  with  all  his  learning 
he  was  a  visionary."  His  failings  in  this  respect  were  rather 
numerous.  For  instance,  he  attempted  to  prove  the  Chris- 
tian Religion  on  reasonable  grounds  ;  he  was  also  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  attempt  clearer  views  of  the  trinity.  In  his 
later  years  he  dreamed  of  having  all  religions  united, 
and  became  more  tolerant  towards  Protestants.  But  his 
great  sin  was  the  belief  that  all  men  must  ultimately  be 
restored. 

In  a  letter  written  in  1553,  he  complains  of  some  who 
"  satisfy  themselves  by  introducing  the  greatest  tyrant 
into  the  world,  and  persuade  themselves  that  there  is  never 
to  be  a  restoration  of  all  things  here,  so  that  Satan  seems 
to  have  destroyed  more  than  Christ  is  able  to  restore.  0, 
the  greatest  impiety  !  "  he  exclaims,  "  Satan  has  ruined 
men  by  no  apparent  means  to  this  very  day  ;  and  Christ 
by  his  secret  and  inward  word,  by  his  holy  spirit,  and  his 


244  MODEEN    HISTORY   OF   UNIVEESALISM.    IBookv.  Ch.i. 

influence  and   instrumentality,   cannot   effect  as  much  in 
saving  as  Satan  does  in  destroying  I  "  ^ 


THEODORE    RAPHAEL    CAMPHTjySEN. 

III.  Dr.  Sawyer  states  that  Camphuysen,  was  born 
at  Worcum  in  Holland,  in  the  year  1586.  He  was  edu- 
cated for  the  Christian  ministry  and  devoted  himself  to 
the  functions  of  the  office  for  a  time,  but  subsequently 
resigned  his  post.  He  became  a  Sociuian,  and  was  one  of 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  Society  at  Eheinsburg.  He 
was  a  moralist  and  a  poet.  Coccieiis  Exam.  Apol.  p.  305, 
says  :  "I  remember,  and  others  remember  that  there  was 
a  certain  Diedrick  Camphuysen,  who  in  a  printed  letter 
attached  to  a  volume  of  his  poems,  professed  that  he  had 
been  inclined  to  abandon  all  religion,  till  he  fell  in  with 
those  books  which  teach  that  perpetual  fires  and  eternal 
torments  have  no  existence." 

Le  Clerc  makes  a  similar  statement  in  the  defence  of 
Archbishop  Tillotson's  views  of  the  eternity  of  hell  tor- 
ments.    He  says  : 

"Mr.  Camphuysen,  a  person  famous  in  Holland  upon 
account  of  several  pieces  of  poetry,  has  publicly  declared 
that  he  had  been  tempted  to  reject  the  Christian  Religion 
altogether,  whilst  he  believed  that  it  taught  the  eternity 
of  torments ;  and  that  he  never  overcame  those  tempta- 
tions, till  he  found  the  truths  of  the  gospel  might  be  taken 
in  another  sense.  It  was  for  promoting  the  salvation  of 
such  doubting  men,  that  Archbishop  Tillotson  spoke  as  he 
did."  See  Supplement  to  Swindon's  "  Nature  and  Place 
of  Hell." 

Camphuysen  is  represented  by  F.  A.  Lampe,  in  his 
"  Treatise  on  the  Eternity  of  Punishments,"  to  have  be- 

»  This  account  of  Postell  is  drawn  from  Sawyer's  Contributions  to  the 
History  of  Universalism,  No.  iii. —  Christian  Ambassador ,  June  25<A, 
1853. 


A.  D.  1590.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  245 

lieved  with  John  Locke  and  some  of  the  Socinians,  that 
the  wicked  would  be  annihilated.  It  is  possible  that  he  is 
correct,  but  I  find  (says  Dr.  Sawyer)  no  other  allusion  to 
the  fact,  and  Lampe  himself  furnishes  no  proof  of  it 

It  is  a  remark  of  Bayle  that  "  the  eternity  of  hell  tor- 
ments is  feared  by  only  a  few.  There  are  only  a  few  who 
feel  this  burden  so  oppressively." 

Camphuysen  produced  a  variety  of  works,  among  which 
were  Theological  works  ;  on  the  State  of  the  Dead  ;  Judg- 
ment of  the  writings  of  Faustus  Socinus  and  a  paraphrase 
of  the  Psalms.' 


SAMUEL    HUBER,    OP   WITTEMBURG. 

IV.  In  regard  to  this  professor  of  divinity,  we  have  been 
unable  to  extricate  the  question  from  doubt,  whether  he 
was  really  a  believer  of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men.  He 
evidently  differed  greatly  from  his  fellows,  and  was  obliged 
on  that  account  to  leave  his  place  and  go  into  retirement. 
It  could  hardly  have  been  a  difference  of  mere  words. 

"  Samuel  Huber,"  says  Lempriere,  "  was  a  native  of 
Berne,  and  Divinity  Professor  at  Wittemburg,  in  1592. 
He  opposed  Predestination  and  wrote  an  able  explanation 
of  the  ninth,  tenth  and  eleventh  chapters  of  Eomans. 

Frederic  Spanheim,  who  was  Professor  of  Divinity  at 
Geneva,  and  afterwards  at  Leyden,  about  the  middle  of  the 
11th  century,  in  his  "  Disputationum  Theologicarum  Syn- 
tagma," under  the  head  De  Praedestione,  §  xlvi,  informs  us 
that  Huber  was  a  Universalist.  He  says,  "  We  think  the 
opinion  of  Samuel  Huber  on  this  subject  absurd,  who  about 
the  close  of  the  last  century  began  to  publish  and  defend 
a  universal  election  of  all  men  in  Christ  to  salvation 
whether  they  believe,  or  do  not  believe  ;  which  dogma  has 
with  very  good  reason  been  exploded  by  Orthodox  divines 

'  See  Sawyer's  "  Contributions  to  the  Modern  History  of  Universalism, 
No.  xiii." 


246  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Bookv.  Ch.i. 

as  unscriptural,  nay  rather,  as  anti-scriptural,  atheistical  and 
unreasonable.  For  election  without  distinction  or  separa- 
tion of  a  part  from  the  rest  cannot  be  made  ;  and  the 
Scriptures  not  only  plainly  deny  that  all  are  elected,  Matt. 
XX.  15  ;  1  Cor,  i.  26  ;  but  also  institute  an  antithesis  be- 
tween the  elect  and  non-elect,  Matt.  xxiv.  25  ;  John  x.  26, 
and  Eom.  ix.  22,  23." 

Spanheim  undoubtedly  believed  Huber  to  be  in  an  error, 
but  he  regarded  him  as  holding  to  the  salvation  of  all  men, 
and  this  is  the  point  in  which  we  are  concerned.  But  after 
all  there  is  room  for  doubt.  Mosheim  speaks  in  the  follow- 
ing terms  of  Huber : 

At  the  end  of  the  century,  Samuel  Huber,  a  Swiss  of  Berne,  indiscreetly 
awakened  a  new  controversy  at  'Wittemburg,  where  he  taught  Theology. 
Fired  with  hatred  of  the  Cahinistic  doctrine  of  absolute  decrees,  he  main- 
tained, that  the  whole  human  race  were  from  eternity  elected  of  God  to 
salvation ;  and  he  accused  his  colleagues,  together  with  all  the  divines  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  of  being  Calvinists,  because  they  taught  that  those 
only  are  elected,  whom  God  foresaw  would  die  in  faith.  Learned  men  are 
at  this  day  agreed  that  Huber  swerved  from  the  Lutheran  doctrines,  in 
words  rather  than  meaning;  for  what  the  Lutherans  maintain  respecting 
the  love  of  God  as  embracing  the  whole  human  race,  and  excluding  no 
one  absolutely  from  eternal  salvation,  this  he  would  explain  in  a  new 
manner  and  in  new  phraseology.  But  this  age  having  learned  from  nu- 
merous examples,  that  new  phraseology  and  new  modes  of  explaining 
doctrines  produced  as  lasting  and  as  pernicious  disturbance  as  new  errors, 
urged  Huber  to  adopt  the  old  and  universal  method  of  teaching,  in  pre- 
ference to  his  own.  And  when  he  declared  that  he  could  not  do  so,  and 
his  patrons  here  and  there  threatened  to  produce  disturbance,  he  was 
compelled  to  relinquish  his  ofBce,  and  go  into  exile.  Murdock's  Mosheim, 
Cen.  xvi.  sec.  iii.  Part  ii.  chap.  L^ 


THE  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURY.   ERNEST  BONNER  AND  OTHERS. 

V.    We  come   now   to   the   seventeenth   century.     The 
works  of  the  early  Universalists  have  not  been  preserved. 

'  There  seems  to  have  been  another  writer  by  the  name  of  Mary  Huber, 
who  fav(;red  Universalism.  AVe  shall  give  some  account  of  her  in  a  sub- 
sequent part  of  this  work. 


A.  D.  1600.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  247 

The  art  of  printing  had  been  discovered  in  the  fifteenth 
century,  but  few  however  could  avail  themselves  of  it. 
Little  printing  was  done,  especially  for  the  poor.  Not 
many  of  the  works  of  those  who  believed  in  the  final  holi- 
ness of  all  men  were  printed  ;  and  of  those  that  were,  no 
efibrts  would  be  made  by  the  enemies  of  that  faith  to  cir- 
culate them.  If  they  would  burn  men  for  writing  and 
printing  the  books,  they  surely  would  burn  the  books. 
We  cannot  expect,  therefore,  to  find  many  works  on  Uni- 
versalism  which  have  come  down  to  us  from  the  sixteenth 
century.     There  are,  however,  some  of  that  kind. 

Einest  Sonner,'  a  Professor  of  Philosophy,  at  Altorf,  pub- 
lished a  work  in  1603,  entitled,  "  A  Theological  and 
Philosophical  demonstration  that  the  endless  punishment 
of  the  wicked  would  argue  not  the  justice,  but  the  injustice 
of  God."  The  work  itself  is  lost,  at  least  it  has  not  been 
met  with,  I  believe,  since  the  days  of  Mosheim.  Leibnit25 
attempted  to  refute  it. 

In  the  year  1632,  appeared  a  work  under  the  title  Offene 
Hertzens  Pforte,  i.  e.  "  Open  Gate  of  the  Heart,"  written 
by  a  man  who  called  himself  Angelus  Marianus.  This  is 
undoubtedly  a  fictitious  name  (says  Dr.  Sawyer)  but  the 
book  was  dedicated  to  one  of  the  most  eminent  personages 
of  that  age.  Axel  Von  Oxensliern,  a  Swedish  nobleman,  and 
Chancellor  of  the  kingdom. 

In  this  work  the  author  speaks  of  the  everlasting  Gospel, 

'  More  than  one  hundred  years  after  Sonner  wrote,  the  famous  Dr. 
Mosheim  prepared  an  article  to  prove  the  eternity  of  hell  torments.  In 
the  day  of  Dr.  Mosheim,  the  doctrine  he  sought  to  defend  was  attacked 
by  many  persons,  and  he  felt  it  needful  to  attempt  to  sustain  it.  He 
spake  of  Sonner  as  follows  :  "  Ernesti  Soneri  Demonstratio  Theologica 
et  Pliilosophica,  quod  aeterna  impiorum  supplicia,  non  arguant  Dei  justi- 
tiam,  sed  iiijustitiam,  (i.  e  ,  A  theological  and  philosophical  demonstra- 
tion that  the  eternal  punishments  of  the  wicked  do  not  argue  the  justice 
but  the  injustice  of  God.)  The  world-renowned  Leibnitz  proposed  a  re- 
publication of  this  little  work,  which  is  now  very  scarce.  I  have  a  copy 
of  it  before  me,  with  the  preface  which  he  proijosed  to  publish  to  it. 
Another  place  will  give  me  occasion  to  mention  this  again,  when  I  shall 
commend  the  goodness  of  one  whom  (says  Dr. Sawyer)  I  have  to  thank  fox' 
this  and  other  matters  connected  with  this  sulject. 


248  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Bookv.  Ch.i. 

a  name  generally  understood  as  implying  TJniversalism,  in 
the  following  manner:  "Through  the  everlasting  Gospel 
will  all  heathen,  Jews,  Turks,  and  even  all  who  are  not 
Christians,  be  converted  to  Christ."  Farther  on  he  says  : 
"  Then  will  the  Lord  appear  in  his  glory,  to  renew  and 
beget  again  the  whole  creation,  and  to  manifest  the  irre- 
sistible power  of  Christ  and  the  great  God,  our  Saviour 
which  has  hitherto  been  hidden  from  all  the  philosophers 
and  the  learned  and  prudent  of  this  world,  till  the  day  of 
the  revelation  in  which  the  whole  world  and  the  creation 
shall  receive  its  conception  from  above  through  the  revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  and  all  things  shall  be  made  new  and 
all  old  things  pass  away  like  a  garment  and  with  salvation, 
and  righteousness  all  shall  be  made  ready  for  the  marriage 
of  the  Lamb,  in  the  Paradise  of  God." 

Peter  Serarius  (Dr.  Sawyer  has  said)  was  a  preacher  at 
Amsterdam,  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
but  was  deposed  because  he  attempted  to  introduce  his 
Chiliastic  or  Millenarian  opinions  among  his  people."  This 
is  the  brief  account  given  of  him  by  Von  Einem.  Petersen 
calls  him  "  that  pious  and  learned  man  of  God."  In  1668, 
he  published  at  Amsterdam  a  book  entitled,  "  The  Fourth 
Book  of  Psalms,"  in  which  that  "  grand  mystery  of  the 
redemption  (totius  Adami)  of  the  whole  human  race, 
hitherto  hidden  from  the  world,  and  restitution  of  all 
things,  is  graphically  described  and  proposed  to  all  men 
promiscuou:-ly."  These  words  which  we  quote  from'Peter- 
sen,  are  doubtless  a  part  of  the  title  page  of  the  book. 
Serarius  was  the  author  of  another  work,  Arcano  Redemp- 
tionis,  Secret  of  Redemption,  in  which,  speaking  of  these 
words,  "This  shall  be  written  for  the  generation  to  come  ; 
and  the  people  which  shall  be  created  shall  praise  the 
Lord  ;  for  he  hath  looked  down  from  the  height  of  his 
sanctuary  ;  from  heaven  did  the  Lord  behold  the  earth  ;  to 
hear  the  groaning  of  the  prisoner,  to  loose  those  that  are 


A.  D.  1650.1  UNIVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  249 

appointed  to  death;  "  (Ps.  cii,  18-20,)  he  says:  "The 
doctrine  of  this  hearing  and  redemption  even  from  hell,  is 
a  thing  indeed  of  which  the  saints  should  have  some  ex- 
perience, but  of  which  little  or  nothing  has  heretofore  been 
written,  or  if  anything  concerning  it  has  appeared,  it  has 
been  done  so  covertly  and  in  so  secret  a  manner,  that  that 
old  saying  is  commonly  received  among  Christians,  that 
there  is  no  redemption  from  hell.  But  at  the  time  of  which 
the  Psalmist  here  speaks,  a  book  shall  be  written  for  a 
generation  to  come,  yea  for  a  people  not  yet  created,  but 
shall  then  at  last  have'taken  its  place,  in  which  book  this 
mystery  shall  be  manifested  to  the  whole  world,  when 
Jehovah  shall  look  down  from  the  height  of  his  sanctity 
into  the  depths  of  the  abyss,  and  from  heaven  upon  the 
earth,  that  he  may  hear  the  groaning  of  the  prisoner  and 
loose  those  destined  to  death,  or  the  original  has  it,  the  sons 
of  death,  i.  e.,  that  he  may  redeem  even  those  who  by  the 
just  judgment  of  God  are  doomed  not  to  life  but  to  death, 
and  have  received  the  sentence  of  death  and  not  of  life.i 


JOHN    WILLIAM    PETERSEN. 

VI.  For  the  want  of  information,  we  are  obliged  to  pass 
over  the  names  of  many  who  we  suppose  were  Universalists 
and  we  come  to  that  well  known,  learned,  pious  preacher 
and  author,  John  William  Petersen,  a  man  who  was  one  of 
the  most  fervent  and  useful  Universalists  of  his  day,  who, 
although  somewhat  visionary,  did  more  to  spread  the  doc- 
trine of  the  restitution  of  all  things,  than  any  man  who 
had  lived  since  the  days  of  Origen.  And  first,  as  to  his 
biography.  He  was  born  at  Osnabruck  in  1649.  Nature 
formed  him  for  a  poet,  and  he  was  made  professor  of  poetry 
at  Rostock  in  1617.  Afterwards  he  was  superintendent  at 
Lubec,  then  court  preacher  at  Lutin,  and  in  1688,  superin- 

1  See  Christian  Ambassador  of  May  28,  1853 


250  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.     [Book  v.  Ch.  i. 

tendent  at  Lunenburg.  Among  other  doctrines,  some  of 
which  perhaps  were  not  well  founded,  he  adopted  with 
great  zeal  that  of  the  restoration  of  all  things.  He  re- 
garded it  as  a  most  important  doctrine  •  he  could  not  make 
out  that  the  government  of  God  is  perfect  without  it.  He 
was  cited  before  the  consistory  at  Zelle  in  1692  ;  and  as  he 
could  not  conscientiously  renounce  this  doctrine,  he  was 
deprived  of  his  office  and  forced  into  private  life.  He 
purchased  an  estate,  not  far  from  Magdeburg,  in  the  heart 
of  Germany,  and  devoted  himself  to  religion  and  literary 
pursuits.  It  was  here  probably  he  prepared  his  three  folio 
volumes  on  Universalism,  a  mingled  work  of  dogmatical 
theology  and  history.^  He  was  a  great  student  and  a  very 
learned  man.  His  writings  wei'e  voluminous.  He  died  in 
1727,  aged  78.  It  is  said  he  received  Universalism  merely 
as  a  special  revelation  from  God  to  himself;  but  it  is  cer- 
tain if  he  at  first  so  received  it,  he  afterwards  found  the 
doctrine  clearly  revealed  in  the  divine  word,  as  a  part  of 
God's  teachings  through  Moses  and  the  prophets,  Christ 
and  his  apostles.^ 

Petersen  also  mentions  an  English  Countess.  Her  work 
seems  to  have  been  originally  written  in  Latin  or  translated 
into  that  tongue.     She  was  a  notable  scholar,  familiar  with 


1  The  title  is  in  Greek  A^ro/caraffmsu  Uavru)v.  In  this  work,  it  is  said,  he 
has  strenuously  defended  the  point,  and  collected  the  writings  of  several 
others  upon  the  same  subject,  in  lesser  tracts.  I  have  seen  one  of  Peter- 
sen's works,  entitled,  Der  Bekrafftigte  Orege?ies,  in  der  Lehre  von  der 
Wiederbringung  aller  Dinge,  gegen  den  so  genamiten  Entkraffcte.n 
Origenem,  &c.,  &c.  That  is,  A  Defence  or  Vindication  of  Origen  on  the 
doctrine  of  the  Restitution  of  all  Things,  in  reply  to  the  so  called  Origen 
Overthrown,  &c.  In  this  work,  Petersen  mentions  a  Mr.  Conrad  Bau- 
man,  a  court  preacher,  and  an  open  defender  of  Universal  Restitution, 
who  had  been  abused  on  account  (jf  his  faith,  in  a  coarse  and  vulgar  man- 
ner. The  substance  of  the  work  is  as  follows  :  1st,  The  absolute  decrees 
of  God  are  contrasted  with  the  decrees  of  rigid  Calvinism;  2d,  Evidence, 
or  proof,  of  the  Universal  Compassion  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus?,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  absolutely  eternal  punishment,  of  the  Hessian  Calvinistic 
Tlieology:  3d,  An  examination  of  an  important  question,  viz.  "  wliether 
God  intended  there  shall  ultimately  be  devils  in  his  creation;  "  to  which  a 
few  smaller  tracts  are  added. 

*  See  Moshcira,  Cen.  xvii.  sec.  ii.  part  ii.  chap.  i. 


A.  D.  1690.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN  GEEMANY.  251 

Greek  and  Latin,  and  skilled  in  the  whole  range  of  philoso- 
phy. Her  translator  says,  she  was  ultra  sexum  erudita, 
"  learned  beyond  her  sex."  She  wrote,  A.  D.  1690.  She 
may  have  been  one  of  the  Philadelphian  Society.  We 
have,  in  Petersen,  a  whole  page  of  her  writings,  in  which 
she  speaks  out  Universalism  plainly.  Her  work  seems  to 
have  borne  the  title  of  "  Philosophical  Opuscula,  contain- 
ing the  principles  of  the  most  ancient  as  well  as  the  most 
modern  Philosophy." 

ENTRETIENS    SUR   LA    RESTITUTION. 

VII.  The  whole  title  of  the  work  referred  to  in  this 
heading  is  :  "  Entretiens  sur  la  Eestitution  generale  de  la 
Creation."     Cologne,  169T.     Printed  by  Pierre  Marteau. 

Petersen,  Vol.  i.  p.  91,  says,  it  was  written  by  "  an  emi- 
nent personage, "  but  seems  ignorant  of  his  name.  He 
further  states  that  in  the  beginning  the  author  institutes  a 
comparison  between  the  first  and  the  second  Adam,  and 
between  the  offence  introduced  by  the  first  and  the  grace 
introduced  by  the  second,  and  maintains  that  the  latter 
must  not  be  less  general  or  less  effective  than  the  former. 

"  I  formerly  believed,"  says  the  author,  "that  a  large 
part  of  the  human  race  would  be  damned  to  punishment 
without  end.  It  is  true  I  frequently  thought  it  very  extra- 
ordinary, that  the  demerit  of  the  first  Adam  should  be  able 
to  diffuse  a  poison  through  his  whole  posterity,  and  that 
the  great  and  incomprehensible  merit  of  the  second  Adam, 
our  mediator  with  God,  far  greater  certainly  than  the  first, 
and  the  sacrifice  for  the  human  race,  should  not  be  as  ex- 
tensive, as  universal  as  the  evil  introduced  by  the  first 
Adam  ;  and  that  this  great  remedy  and  counterpoise 
should  have  no  efiect  only  on  such  as  during  the  short 
course  of  the  present  life  should  apply  it  to  themselves  ; 
and  yet  this  life  is  only  a  moment  in  respect  to  eternity, 
and  should  not  leave  the  soul  to  be  deprived  eternally  of 
the  merit  of  Christ. 


252  MODERN    HISTORY   OP   DNIVERSALISM.    IBookv.  Ch.  L 

Petersen  informs  us  further,  that  our  author  has  some 
criticisms  upon  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  phrases  for  dura- 
tion, and  shows  that  they  must  be  taken  very  differently 
when  applied  to  God,  than  when  applied  to  man,  and  con- 
sequently that  when  they  are  used  in  reference  to  punish- 
ments, which  are  inflicted  for  sin,  they  can  no  more  be  endless 
than  sin  itself  is,  and,  therefore,  they  must  come  to  an  end, 
as  evil  has  no  eternal  root  as  good  has,  which  draws  its 
existence  from  God.     Hence  he  says,  p.  26  : 

"  If  you  distinguish  upon  this  ground  the  eternity  of  the 
source  of  good  and  evil  in  the  creature,  you  will  perceive 
a  vast  difference  and  distance  between  the  two  origins  ; 
and  if  you  then  distinguish  the  eternity  of  the  Creator, 
you  will  find  that  the  creature,  who  was  made  by  God  of 
good  primordial  substance,  and  was  prevented  by  an 
accidental  evil,  insinuated  into  it  by  the  devil,  shall  not 
remain  in  that  state  of  mixture  to  all  eternity,  but  that  a 
separation  shall  be  effected  of  these  two  qualities,  to  wit, 
the  evil  shall  be  terminated  and  annihilated  by  fire,  and 
that  all  that  is  said  of  the  ages  or  eternities,  is  to  be  un- 
derstood of  this  temporality  of  punishments  and  of  evil,  to 
be  destroyed  during  these  said  ages,"  &c. 

In  another  passage,  when  treating  of  1  Cor.  xv.  22-25, 
he  sa,js,  "  Read  1  Cor.  xv.  22-25,  where  it  is  said  that  as 
all  men  die  in  Adam,  so  shall  all,  every  one  in  his  own 
order,  be  made  alive  in  Christ.  This  word  made  alive,  has 
such  an  extent  of  signification  in  the  original  Greek,  that 
it  comprehends,  not  only  the  resuscitation  of  the  dead,  but 
also  sanctification  and  renovation." 

THE    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY. 

VIIT.  This  century  was  marked  by  a  very  spirited  discus- 
sion of  Universalism  and  of  the  opposite  doctrine  of  the  eter- 
nity of  punishment.  Petersen,  who  had  agitated  the  public 
thought  in  the  preceding  century,  continued  his  labors.  In 
fact  his  three  folio  volumes  appeared    between  HOI  and 


A.  D.  1690.1  UNIVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  253 

ITIO.'  J.  J.  Wolf  wrote  about  this  time,  "  Brief  Remarks  on 
the  question,  whether  a  Universal  Restitution  is  really  to 
be  hoped  for  after  this  life  ?"  Helmstadt,  1699.  C.  G.  Koch 
"wrote  a  "  solid  and  Orthodox  exposition  of  the  apokatastasis 
(restitution)  of  Actsiii.  21,"  Kiel,  1699.  Zach  published  a 
review  of  Dr.  Grapius's  book,  called  the  Eternal  Gospel, 
Rostock,  1699  ;  and  Dr.  Thomas  Ittigius  sent  out  a  work, 
"  The  Gospel  announced  to  the  Dead,"  Leipsic,  1699.  Well 
might  Dr.  Mosheim  say,  "The  points  of  theology  which 
had  been  controverted  in  the  seventeenth  century,  were 
destined  to  excite  keener  disputes  in  the  eighteenth,  such 
"  as  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments  ;  the  reign  of  Christ  upon 
earth  during  a  thousand  years  ;  and  the  final  restoration  of 
all  intelligent  beings,  to  order,  perfection  and  happiness."  ^ 
It  would  not  be  possible  for  us,  however,  were  we  possess- 
ed, in  this  Country,  of  the  materials, — to  enter  into  a  full 
description  of  the  various  controversies  which  were  main- 
tained. Dr.  Mosheim  must  have  referred  to  the  first  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  as  he  died  in  l*r55.  We  will 
give  sketches  of  some  of  the  controversies,  and  some  of 
the  works  which  marked  the  time  of  which  we  write. 

HISTORY    OF    UNIVERSALISM    BY    DIETELMAIR. 

^  IX.  Dietelmair  wrote  upon  the  History  of  Universalism 
about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.  He  bears  testi- 
mony to  the  wide-spread  controversy  which  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  the  century.  Seeking  after  the  rest  which  Christ 
promised  to  those  who  believe  on  him,  many  authors  could 
not  be  content  without  investigating  this  great  question. 
The  historian  we  have  named  says  : 

"  How  many  and  how  deadly  commotions,  in  the  Church 
of  Christ,  that  very  celebrated  dogma  concerning  the 
dTioxaraffrdat*   of  all  things,  or  the  end  of  infernal   pains 

'  Musterion  apokatastasis  panton,  i.  e.  the  mystery  of  the  restoration  of 
all  things  (in  German),  Offenbach,  1701-10,  3  vols,  folio.  See  Murdock's 
Elements  of  Christian  Dogmatic  History,  New  Haven,  1S30,  p.  203. 

'  Cen.  xviii.  section  20,  New  York  edition  of  1850,  p.  493. 


254  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.     Book  v.  Ch.  i. 

which  they  would  have  to  be  understood  by  this  phrase,  — 
can,  I  think,  escape  no  one  who  is  not  wholly  ignorant  of 
affairs  transacted  in  the  religious  world.  For  not  only  in 
ancient  times,  was  it  often  disputed  concerning  this  sub- 
ject, but  also  in  the  recent  age  there  were  numberless  con- 
tests waged  by  the  enemies  of  the  infinite  justice  of  God 
against  the  received  opinions  of  the  Orthodox  Church,  con- 
cerning eternal  punishments  ;  contests  which  raged  vehe- 
mently enough  within  the  very  bounds  of  the  Orthodox 
Church,  in  the  end  of  the  last  century  and  the  beginning 
of  the  present."     (Preface.) 

He  further  says  that  John  Laurence  Mosheim  lately  gave 
encouragement,  that  he  would  write  a  history  of  this  dog- 
ma, but  that  he  died  without  executing  it.  Dietelmair 
therefore  undertook  it.  This  present  work  of  his,  he 
says,  is  only  the  ancient  part ;  he  intends  to  follow  it 
with  the  modern  history,  to  which  he  shall  add,  as  an 
appendix,  the  tract  of  Ernestus  Sonerus  which  Mosheim 
promised,  together  with  the  confutations  by  Leibnitz  and 
others.  This  latter  part,  the  modern,  we  suppose  was  never 
published,  as  we  have  never  seen  any  other  references  to  it. 

In  the  work  itself,  Dietelmair  tries  to  free  Origen,  the 
Gregories,  and  almost  all  the  ancient  fathers,  from  the 
charge  of  Universalism.  How  he  succeeded  may  be 
judged  of,  by  the  remark  of  Muenscher,  author  of  the  cele- 
brated Manual  of  Dogmatic  History,  in  4  vols. :  "  His 
grounds  are  nearly  all  wholly  untenable." '  Dietelmair 
gives  notices  of  what  was  said  for  and  against  Universal- 
ism, down  to  the  Keformation.  He  is  a  somewhat  bitter 
opponent  of  the  doctrine.  There  is  considerable  ecclesias- 
tical learning  manifest  in  his  book,  but  perverted  by 
strong  prejudice,  and  his  pleas  are  almost  invariably  hard- 
Btrained. 

On  page  Tl\,  he  mentions  a  work  in  German,  (probably 

'  Muenscher,  Handbuch  der  Christlich.    Dogmengesch.  ii.  506. 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  S55 

then  recently  published,)  entitled  "Gedanken  von  der 
"Wiederbringung  aller  Dinge,"  — Thoughts  on  the  Restitu- 
tion of  all  things, — the  unknown  author  of  which,  says  Die- 
telmair,  "  did  uotblush  to  assert,  in  the  preface  to  his  trea- 
tise, that  the  doctrine  of  the  Restitution  was  publicly 
taught  in  the  earliest  times  of  the  Church." 

On  pages  11,  IS,  speaking  of  those  who  claimed  Justin 
Martyr,  Irenseus,  Clemens  Alexandrinus,  &c.,  as  holding  the 
end  of  infernal  torments,  he  says,  "  More  than  by  the  rest, 
this  was  done  by  that  most  noted  one  in  these  controversies, 
John  William  Petersen,  a  man  otherwise  not  to  be  despised, 
second  to  few  in  piety  and  extent  of  erudition,  but  often 
indulging  his  own  fancy  immoderately  ;  from  whom,  though 
a  hundred  times  refuted,  no  one  has  yet  tried  to  take  away 
his  historical  weapons.  Others,  with  no  pai'tizan  aims,  have 
lightly  engaged  in  this  subject,  which  they  suppose  to  be 
of  little  moment ;  and  being  deceived  by  the  obscurer  pas- 
sages of  the  ancients,  which  they  are  unwilling  to  subject 
to  a  careful  examination,  they  too  easily  concede  the  errors 
charged  against  the  fathers,"  &c.i 

THK    EVERLASTING    GOSPEL. 

X.  "We  now  come  to  a  work  which  caused  much  excite- 
ment in  its  day,  viz.  the  so  called  "  Everlasting  Gospel," 
which  for  years  was  understood  to  have  had  for  its  author 
one  Paul  Siegvolk.  Long  after  the  delusion  ought  to 
have  been  corrected,  the  work  was  continued  to  be 
ascribed  to  Siegvolk,  both  in  America  and  in  Europe. 
The  name  was  kept  up  and  applied  to  a  series  of  works, 
about  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

1  "  Commenti  Fanatici  de  Rerum  Omnium  'AnoKaraardcei  Historia  Anti- 
quior.  Auctore  D.  Joh.  Augustino  Dietelmair,"  etc.  Published  at  Altorf, 
17G9,  8vo.  pp.  279.  Altorf  is  in  Switzerland.  Dietelmair  is  styled,  m 
the  title-page,  "  S.  Theol.  P.  P.  Ecclesise  Archidiac.  Academice  H.  T. 
quartum  Recto  re,"  ■which  perhaps  means  Professor  of  Theology,  and 
Rector  of  some  Academical  Institution,  though  I  cannot  read  it  out,  ou 
account  of  the  abbreviations. 


256  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.      [Book  v.  Chi. 

Dr.  Sawyer  says,  "  Few  names  are  more  familiar  to  our 
readers  than  that  of  Sicgvolk.  Not  that  he  was  distin- 
guished for  pre-eminent  talents,  but  it  was  his  fortune  to 
enter  upon  the  stage  of  action  in  a  day  of  great  religious 
controversy,  and  also  to  have  one  of  his  works  translated 
and  published  in  America,  at  a  time,  and  under  circum- 
stances calculated  to  give  it  an  enviable  reputation  and 
secure  to  it  an  extensive  usefulness. 

Yet  of  Siegvolk  personally,  we  have  hitherto  known 
almost  nothing,  and  even  to  the  present  day,  our  informa- 
tion is  singularly  meagre.  Indeed  it  is  only  within  these 
last  few  years  that  we  became  aware  that  Seigvolk  was 
but  an  assumed  name,  nor  were  we  ready  to  credit  the  fact 
when  it  was  first  announced  to  us." 

In  commenting  on  a  paragraph  which  appeared  in  the 
first  edition  of  this  history,  Dr.  Sawyer  further  says,  "  We 
now  know  that  Siegvolk  was  a  clergyman  in  Germany, 
and  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  he  was  born  and  edu- 
cated in  Holland  or  that  his  most  popular  work,  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel,  was  written  in.  Low  Dutch,  or  that  he  had 
corresponded  with  the  persons  mentioned  in  the  above  note. 
Still  we  would  not  positively  deny  these  statements  since 
they  may  possibly  be  true.  The  Everlasting  GospeP  was 
first  published,  continued  Doctor  Sawyer,  so  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  learn,  in  the  year  ITOO.  It  appeared  in 
the  first  volume  of  Petersen's  great  work,  "The  Mystery 
of  the  Restoration  of  all  Things."  In  introducing  it  near 
the  close  of  the  volume,  Petersen  says,  "  the  publication 
has  been  deferred  a  whole  year  or  more,  since  I  wished  it 
to  appear  ;  but  in  this  as  in  other  things,  I  see  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  for  I  have  meanwhile  received  an  excellent 


*  The  whole  title  is  as  follows,  "  The  Everlasting  Gospel,  commanded  to 
be  preached  by  Jesus  Christ,  judge  of  the  living  and  dead,  unto  all  crea- 
tures, Mark  xvi.  15,  concerning  the  eternal  redemption  found  out  by 
him,  wliereby  Devil,  Sin,  Hell  and  Death,  shall  at  last  be  abolished,  and 
the  whole  creation  restored  to  its  primitive  purity;  being  a  testimony 
against  the  present  an ti -christian  world." 


A.  D.  1700.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   GEEMANT.  257 

tract  on  the  subject,  which  is  very  precious  and  may 
properly  be  called  a  compendium  of  this  whole  work,  and 
which  I  here  communicate." 

The  Everlasting  Gospel,  thus  introduced,  acquired  a 
deserved  popularity  in  Germany.  It  was  republished  at 
Leipsic  in  1705  and  again  in  1713.  In  1730  a  new  edition 
appeared  at  Frankfort  and  Leipsic,  and  another  still  in  1745 
in  Altona. 

The  first  edition  in  English  appeared  at  Germantown, 
near  Philadelphia  in  1753,  and  was  doubtless  the  first 
work  in  favor  of  Universalism,  except  the  Bible,  ever 
printed  in  America.  This  edition  was  printed  by  Christo- 
pher Sower,   more  properly  Sauer,  and  purports  to   have 

been  "  translated  into  English  by  John  S ,"  probably 

a  son  or  brother  of  the  printer.  There  is  every  reason  to 
suppose  that  it  was  thus  introduced  to  the  readers  of  Eng- 
lish, through  the  influence  of  Dr.  George  De  Benneville, 
who  after  a  series  of  sufferings  and  persecutions  for  his 
faith  in  Universalism,  came  to  this  country  about  1740,  and 
was  at  this  time  residing  near  Germantown.  Whether  he 
brought  the  original  from  Germany,  where  he  had  lived 
several  years  and  probably  became  acquainted  with  it,  wo 
have  no  means  of  determining.  It  might  have  been 
brought  over  by  some  of  the  German  Baptists,  who  sym- 
pathized with  its  author.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  under- 
stood that  Winchester,  in  his  preface  to  the  London  edition, 
1792,  alludes  to  De  Benneville,  when  he  says,  "  I  am  well 
acquainted  with  the  good  man  at  whose  instance  and  ex- 
pense it  was  translated.  He  has  lived  to  see  the  little 
spark  rise  into  a  flame,  and  the  small  seed  into  a  large 
tree;  and  may  he  still  live  many  years,"  &c.  Dr.  De 
Benneville  died  the  year  following  the  date  of  Mr.  Win- 
chester's preface,  1793,  aged  90  years.     {Dr.  Sawyer.) 

Besides  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  Siegvolk  wrote  and 
published  several  other  works.  In  the  second  volume  of 
Petersen's   Restoration   of   all   Things,   1702,   appeared  a 


258  MODERN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  v.  Ch.  i 

labored  review  of  a  work  by  J.  Haenfler,  entitled,  "  Plain 
Instruction."  This  is  ascribed  by  Thiess  to  Siegvolk.  It 
makes  91  folio  pages.  In  1711  we  find  him  in  the  field 
again  in  controversy  with  sevei'al  opposers  of  universal 
salvation,  who  had  been  called  out  by  Petersen's  great 
work.  This  volume  (of  lUl)  is  entitled,  "  Vain  Strife 
against  Truth  and  Innocence."  Another  work  of  his  ap- 
peared in  1711,  called,  "  Presentation  of  what  the  resiiiu- 
tion  of  all  things,  Acts  iii.  21,  must  mean."' 

About  1728,  J.  Laurence  Mosheini,  the  celebrated  eccle- 
siastical historian,  gave  the  world  his  thoughts  on  the 
doctrine  of  the  end  of  Hell  Torments.  To  this  Siegvolk 
replied  in  1729,  in  a  work  entitled,  "Modest  Thoughts 
upon  Mosheim's  Thoughts,"  &c.  During  the  same  year 
he  also  published  a  volume  entitled,  "  Various  important 
Questions,  concerning  the  Millenial  Eeign  of  Christ,  and 
the  entire  restoration  of  all  creatures  to  follow  it,  together 
with  an  appendix  of  clear  proofs  from  the  writings  of 
Luther,  that  he  believed,  both  in  the  restoration  of  all 
things  and  the  milennial  kingdom  of  Christ." 

Having  said  so  much  of  Siegvolk's  works,  I  must  turn,- 
(says  Dr.  S.)  for  a  moment  to  consider  the  author  him- 
self But  here  I  must  confess  my  information  very  lim- 
ited. Some  years  ago  I  learned  from  Thiess,  what  I 
could  then  scarcely  credit,  that  Siegvolk  was  an  assumed 
name.  More  recent  information  has  confirmed  the  fact. 
The  following  paragraph  I  copy  from  Von  Einem,  who 
revised  and  enlarged  Hering's  Lexicon  of  Church  His- 
tory and  Heresies: 

"  George  Klein-Nicolai  was,  in  the  beginning  of  this  (the  eighteenth) 
century,  an  active  advocate  of  the  restoration  of  all  things.  On  this 
account  he  was  deposed  as  the  preacher  at  Friessdorf  and  Rammelburg, 
in  Mannsfeld.  He  was  indeed  called  afterwards  again  to  Zeulenrode  in 
the  county  of  Gratz,  but  created  many  disturbances.  In  his  writings  he 
called  himself  George  Paul  Siegvolk." 

In  an  appendix  to  his  "  Vain  Strife  against  Truth  and 


A.  J>.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  259 

Innocence,"  our   author   alludes    to   his   writing   under  a 
fictitious  name  in  the  following-  manner  : 

"  Finally,  let  not  the  reader  be  ofl'ended  because  the  author  of  this  work 
has,  for  important  reasons,  not  placed  his  proper  name  upon  the  title 
page.  This  is  not  done,  because  he  shuns  the  light,  or  is  afraid  of  the 
sectarian  persecutors  of  the  impartial  truth,  which  is  hedged  in  by  no  cir- 
cle of  false  orthodoxy.  For  through  the  grace  of  God.  he  has  been  enabled 
already  to  give  many  satisfactory  proofs  to  the  contrary,  till  God  will 
strengthen  him  still  farther  not  to  be  ashamed  in  any  manner  or  at  any 
point,  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  but  rather  on  its  account  to  sufier  all  things 
patiently  till  death."  ^ 

Many  writers  came  out  against  the  doctrine  of  the  res- 
titution of  all  things,  and  among  others,  a  Mr.  J.  Haenfler, 
mentioned   in  a  preceding  paragraph,  preacher  in  the  for- 

IFor  many  of  these  facts,  I  refer  to  the  valuable  historical  preface  writ- 
ten by  Dr.  Sawyer,  and  attached  to  the  edition  cf  the  Everlasting  Gospel 
published  in  Philadelphia. 

GEORGE  KLEIN-NICOLAI. 

The  following  account  of  Klein-Nicolai  is  given  by  Mehlig  in  his 
"  Historisches  Kirchen- und  Ketzer-Lexicon,"  i.e.  Historical  Diction- 
ary of  the  Church  and  of  Heretics,  published  in  1758. 

"George  Klein-Nicolai  was  a  zealous  advocate  of  Universal  Restora- 
tion, at  the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  He  was  pastor  at  Friess- 
dorf  and  Rammelburg,  in  the  district  of  Munnsfeld,  where  he  was  de- 
•  posed  from  his  office.  He  was  afterwards  reinstated  at  Zeulenroda 
in  the  seignory  of  Grsetz,  where  he  created  much  disturbance.  In  his 
writings  he  assumed  the  name  of  George  Paul  Siegvolk.  A  circumstan- 
tial account  of  the  turbulent  proceedings  of  this  man  is  to  be  found  par- 
ticularly in  Trinius's  '  Lebensbeschreibungen  der  Gottesgelehr:en  auf 
dem  Lande'  {Lives  of  Theologians  in  the  country).'"  His  account  is  sub- 
stantially copied  by  Von  Einem,  in  his  edition  of  Hering's  "  Kurzgefass- 
tes  Kirchen-  und  Ketzer-Lexicon,"  publishel  in  178'.). 

The  name  assumed  by  Klein-Nicolai,  and  under  which  most  of  his  works 
were  published,  has  thrown  some  obscurity  over  his  history,  many  writers 
knowing  him  only  as  Siegvolck.  A  friend  has  called  my  attention  to  the 
fiict  that  Paul  Siegvolck  is  merely  a  translation  of  Klein-Nicolai  into  a 
name  having  the  same  etymological  meaning;  Paul,  according  to  its 
Latin  derivation,  signifying  the  same  as  Klein,  in  German,  that  is, 
"little;"  and  Siegvolck,  derived  from  the  German  siejre/i,  "to  conquer," 
and  Volk,  "people,"  "folk,"  being  precisely  equivalent  to  A^colai, 
fi'om  the  Greek    vtxuw,  "  to  conquer,"  and  Xais,  "  people." 

The  following  works  are  enumerated  by  Georgi  in  his  "  Allgemeines 
Europaeischer-Buecher  Lexicon,"  or  Universal  Dictionary  of  European 
Books,  as  published  by  Klein-Nicolai  under  his  own  name: — 

1.  "Der  unabsetzliche  Diener  Christi:  Beweis,  das  ein  Knecht  Gottes 
u.  s.  w.,nicht  abzusetzen  sey,"  i.  e-  "  The  Undeposable  Minister  of  Christ: 
Proof  that  a  Servant  of  God,  &c. ,  cannot  be  deposed."     Halle,  1706.  4to. 

2.  "  Wahre  Gestalt  des  gerechtmachenden  Glaubens,"  i.  e.  "  True  Na- 
ture of  .Justifying  Faith.  "     Gotha,  1723.     4to. 

3.  "  Der  verzvveiftelte  Atheist,  mit  Spirae  Leben,"  i.  e.  "  The  Atheist  in 


260  MODEEN  HISTORY  OP  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  Part  i, 

treas  of  Custrin,  who  published  a  book  in  1Y02,  entitled 
"  Candid  Dialogue."  It  was  replied  to  by  Siegvolk  or 
Klein  Nicolai  in  an  article  entitled,  "  Fundamental  Consid- 
rations  upon  Haenfler's  Tract,"  &c.  The  latter  fills 
more  than  ninety  folio  pages  in  Petersen's  great  work. 
Every  year,  we  might  almost  say  every  month,  some  book 
on  this  great  question,  upon  one  side  or  the  other,  made  its 
appearance.  Ferdinand  Helfreich  Lightscheid,  published 
"  Christian  Thoughts  on  the  Book  of  the  Everlasting  Gos- 
pel," Leipsic,  1100,  and  Zullichan,  1733.  Mr.  Pistorius 
published  "  God's  eternal  judgment  of  wrath,"  Magde- 
burg, A.  D.  1700.  The  third  large  folio  volume  of  Peter- 
sen's -4/Jo^atos^aszs  Pan  ton  came  out  in  1710,  about  the  same 
time  with  the  biography  of  Petersen.  In  1705,  a  new  edition 
of  Kleiii-Nicolai's  Everlasting  Gospel  had  appeared  at  Leip- 
sic, and  at  the  same  time  Dr.  John  Christian  Pfaff  published 
a  work  entitled  "  De  restitutione  omnium  rerum,''  Tubingen, 
1705.  In  1707,  the  ever-toiling  Petersen  issued,  at  Magde- 
burg, his  "  Complete  Economy  of  the  Love  of  God  in 
Christ,"  and  in  the  next  year  Sam.  Christian  Teuber 
published,  at  Magdeburg,  bis  Arguments  against  Origen's- 
doctrine  of  the  Restitution  of  all  things,"  and  Dr.  Ludwig 
Melchior  Fischlin  issued  his  "  Mystery  of  the  Apokaiastasis 
Pantoyl,  exposed  and  overthrown,"  1708.  John  Mercker 
(Dr.  perhaps)  issued  a  pamphlet  on  the  Restitution  of  all 
Things.  These  are  scarcely  a  t^'the  of  the  works  that 
appeared  pro  and  con  in  this  controversy  in  the  first  half 
of  this  century.  Petersen  had  been  the  moving  spirit. 
His  three  masterly  folios  had  stirred  up  the  thoughts  of 
many  of  the  clergy  and  scholars  of  Germany.  Let  us 
pass  on. 


Despair ;  with  the  Life  of  Spira. "  (Translated  from  the  English. )  Leipzig, 
169f5;     l'2rrK). 

4.  "  l)a.s  ernstliche  Verlangen  Gottes  nnch  der  allergroesten  SnenderBe- 
kehrnnii;,  auadem  Englischeii  von  Klein-Nicolai."  i.  e.  "Tlie  Earnest  Desire 
of  God  for  the  Conversion  of  the  Greatest  of  Sinners;  from  the  English." 
Leipzig,  1721.     8vo. 


A.  D.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  261 


DOCTRINE    OF    ENDLESS    MISERY    FURTHER   DEFENDED. 

XI.  Not  to  attempt  to  mention  every  book  bearing  on 
this  controversy,  (which  would  be  impossible,)  we  will 
pass  to  matters  of  greater  moment.  The  publications  in 
favor  of  the  Apokatastasis  Panton,  led  the  learned  to  think 
that  they  must  seek  some  way  to  strengthen  the  founda- 
tions of  the  common  belief  in  endless  punishment.  Many 
really  pious  persons  had  come  to  have  great  doubts  in 
regard  to  the  truth  of  that  doctrine,  and  the  doubts  had 
spread,  especially  with  the  common  people.  Among  the 
truly  learned  men  who  came  forward  at  this  crisis,  was 
Frederick  Adolphus  Lampe,  professor  of  theology  and  rector 
of  the  University  of  Bremen,  who  died  there  in  1729.  He 
produced  a  work  entitled,  "Theological  Dissertations  con- 
cerning the  Endless  Duration  of  Punishment."  This  was 
translated  into  English  nearly  seventy  years  after  Lampe's 
death,  by  Dr.  Joseph  Robertson,  of  Edinburg.^  Works  on 
both  sides  of  this  controversy  continued  to  appear.  Peter- 
sen was  devoted,  in  his  full  soul,  to  the  great  doctrine  of 
the  Apokatastasis,  and  continually  sent  out  his  books  denovo, 
or  as  replies  to  the  attacks  of  others." 

'  See  Adam's  Religious  World  Displayed,  Vol.  iii.  p.  393. 

^  Dr.  Sawyer  says,  in  his  prefiice  to  the  Philadelphia  edition  of  the 
•'  Everlastins:  Gospel  "  :  There  is  in  the  Franklin  Library,  Philadelphia, 
a  volume  in  German,  entitlsd,  '"  Golden  Rose,  or  a  Witness  of  the  Truth, 
&c.,  by  Christopher  Schuetz. "  The  preface  to  the  first  part  was  written 
at  Umstadt,  Sei)tember,  1724;  the  preface  to  the  second  part  is  dated  Offen- 
bach on  the  Mayn,  October,  1730.  Among  olhev  things  it  contains  a 
correspondence  between  Schuetz  and  Fischer,  the  latter  of  whom  appears  to 
have  been  a  magistrate.  They  had  a  mutual  friend  in  an  individual  by  the 
name  of  David  Schtefer,  (in  English,  Shepherd.)  Both  Fischer  and  Schse- 
ferdied  before  the  publication  of  the  volume  referred  to,  which  contains 
an  elegy  on  Fischer,  and  alludes  in  a  touching  manner  to  the  death  of 
Schfefer,  which  seems  to  have  happened  about  six  months  earlier.  These 
warm-hearted  friends  must  have  died  between  1727  and  1731,  though  the 
date  is  not  to  be  made  out  accurately.  The  last  letter  I  find  from  Fischer 
is  dated  May,  1727.  Behseferyfrote  aviork,  entitled.  Everlasting  Gospel, 
which  I  have  never  seen,  but  which,  in  company  with  this  of  Sicgvolk, 
and  that  of  Schuetz  above  alluded  to,  was  made  the  subject  of  undoubted- 
ly the  earliest  printed  attack  on  Universalism  in  America.  I  refer  to  Rev. 
R.  Pomp's  Examination  of  the  Doctrine  of  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  pub- 
lished in  German,  at  Philadelphia,  in  1774. 


262  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  y.  Oh.  i. 

JOHN   LAWRENCE    MOSHEIM. 

XII.  Another  writer  of  great  eminence,  who  came  for- 
ward to  sustain  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment  at  this 
crisis,  was  the  celebrated  Dr.  Mosheim,  once  divinity  pro- 
fessor at  Helmstadt,  afterwards  appointed  chancellor  of  the 
University  of  Gottingen,  but  best  known  in  our  country 
as  the  author  of  an  Ecclesiastical  History,  translated  into 
English  by  Maclaine,  and  afterwards  by  Murdock.  It  is 
not  for  the  voluminousness,  strength  or  value  of  his  work 
on  endless  punishment,  that  we  notice  it,  (for  it  was  a  mere 
tract,)  but  on  account  of  the  eminent  position  of  the 
author.  It  appeared  A.  D.  1125.  Dr.  Sawyer  says,  (and 
the  fact  cannot  be  doubted,)  "It  was  written  at  a  time 
when  a  very  active  controversy  was  going  on  in  Germany, 
between  the  advocates  of  endless  torments  and  universal 
salvation.  And  it  seems  to  have  been  supposed  that  such 
a  tract  as  this,  from  a  man  so  eminent,  would  do  much 
towards  settling  the  controversy,  and  re-establishing  the 
public  faith  in  the  dogma  of  endless  hell  punishments."  ^ 
Mosheim  says  the  work  was  required  at  his  hand.  His 
friends  urged  him  to  write  it.  "  The  innocent  haste  of 
some  of  my  friends,  who  wished  to  have  it  published  with- 
out my  knowledge,  and  with  some  faults  about  it,  induced 
me,  when  I  became  acquainted  with  their  intention,  to 
promise  them  that  I  would  myself  give  it  corrected  to  the 
press."  ^  It  would  almost  seem  that  he  had  friends  on 
both  sides  of  this  controversy,  for  he  appears  to  apologize 
for  the  publication.  "  What  is  there  blameworthy  in  this  ? 
Had  I  not  kept  my  promise,  (i.e.  in  publishing  this  work,) 
should  I  not  have  sinned  quite  as  much,  as  I  do  now  in 
performing  it  ?  Besides,  it  is  better  to  give  the  world  a 
few  sheets   too   much  than   too  little   on    subjects  of  this 


1  Universalist  Quarterly,  vol.  xii.  p.  69. 

2  Dr.  Mosheim's  Preface  to  the  Tract. 


A.  D.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   GEEMANY.  2C3 

nature."  ^     Numerous  editions  of  the  work  were  given  to 
the  public. 

No  sooner  had  this  tract  made  its  appearance,  than 
it  seemed  to  add  fresh  fuel  to  the  fire  of  controversy. 
Petersen  wrote  immediately  replies  to  the  arguments  of 
Dr.  Mosheim  ;  and  in  112T  the  latter  said,  "  Petersen's  two 
works,  which  he  has  written  in  opposition  to  me,  may  lie 
in  Hamburg  or  be  finally  published.  I  shall  regard  them 
as  if  they  had  never  been  prepared.  If  he  has  so  much 
confidence  in  the  correctness  of  his  opinions,  what  is  the 
use  of  sending  book  after  book  upon  it  into  the  world  ?  "  ^ 
For  the  plain  reason,  one  would  think,  because  he  had  con- 
fidence in  the  correctness  of  his  opinions.  AVhy  did  Dr. 
Mosheim  issue  his  publications,  except  for  the  same  reason  ? 
Another  work  presently  appeared,  in  which  the  arguments 
of  Dr.  Mosheim  were  reviewed.  This  was  "  a  fundamental 
exposition  of  the  eternal  love  of  God  in  Christ,  towards  all 
fallen  creatures,  or  an  express  proof  that  the  doctrine  of 
the  restitution  of  all  things  is  incontestably  founded  in 
nature  and  revelation,  and  is  an  ancient  apostolic  doctrine, 
and  no  opinion  misleading  to  security."  By  Christian 
Pagenkop.  Freystadt,  1726,  8vo.  Mosheim  calls  Pagen- 
kop  a  friend  of  the  well  known  Dippel,  and  deemed  his 
work  worthy  of  an  extended  notice. 

Gerhard's  work  on  universausm. 

XIII.  But  the  year  1T2T  brought  forth  another  work  on 
the  great  doctrine  of  the  restitution  of  all  things.  This 
was  Gerhard's  "  Sysfema  Apokatastaseos,  that  is,  a  complete 
system  of  the  everlasting  gospel  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things."  ^  Gerhard  seems  to  have  been  a  professor  of  The- 
ology in  the  University  of  Rostock;  but  made  himself  ob- 
noxious to  some  of  the  clergy  around  him,  by  a  Christmas 

*  Dr.  Mosheini's  Prefece  to  the  Tract, 
^  Universalist  Quarterly,  xii.  84. 
3  Universalist  Quarterly,  xii.  85. 


264  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.    IBookvCh.l. 

Sermon  he  had  preached  in  IT  18.  His  work  on  the  Eesti- 
tution  was  an  important  contribution  to  the  arguments  by 
which  the  doctrine  was  sustained.  Mosheim  took  particu- 
lar notice  of  it  in  a  special  preface  to  the  second  volume  of 
his  sermons,  which  appeared  in  the  autumn  of  1127.  But 
Gerhard  was  more  vigorously  attacked  on  other  sides,  for 
Walch,  in  his  "  Introduction  to  the  religious  controversies 
in  the  Lutheran  Church,"  mentions  no  less  than  fourteen 
volumes  which  his  book  called  forth  in  a  short  time.*  It  was 
a  large  and  learned  work,  and  it  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  professed  believers  in  endless  torments,  and  carried  dis- 
may into  their  ranks.  John  Francis  Buddeus,  President 
at  Jena,  speaks  of  Gerhard  as  a  learned  man,  aside  from 
his  book  on  the  restitution.  The  leading  design  of  the 
work  was  to  set  forth  "  the  complete  doctrine  of  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel,  concerning  the  Restitution  of  all  Things,  to- 
gether with  the  groundless  nature  of  the  opposite  doctrine 
concerning  endless  damnation."  As  may  be  inferred  fi'om 
what  we  have  said,  he  was  attacked  on  all  sides,  but  he 
stood  firmly ;  and  the  doctrine  of  eternal  hell  torments 
was  held  with  less  tenacity  after  the  publication.  From 
that  time  until  the  present,  it  has  been  exercising  less 
and  less  power  in  Germany.''     It  is  a  fact  worth  remem- 

*  See  Dr.  Sawyer's  article  in  TJniversalist  Quarterly,  vol.  xii.  p.  85. 

*  After  the  above  paragraph  was  in  type,  I  found  a  fuller  account  of  Ger- 
hard's Systema  ^pokatastaseos,  than  I  had  ever  seen  before.  Lewis  Ger- 
hard took  rank  among  the  chief  defenders  of  the  universal  restitution. 
He  wrote  only  one  book,  thouirh  he  afterwards  gave  an  epitome  of  it.  It 
was  entitled,  "  The  Complete  System  of  the  Everlasting  Gospel  of  the 
Restoration  of  all  Things,  together  with  the  baseless  opposite  doctrine  of 
Eternal  Damnation;  with  a  Christmas  Sermon,  on  the  Spiritual  Birth  in 
us,  b 'ing  the  root  from  which  this  Treatise  springs."  1727,  4to.  There 
are  six  chapters.  In  the  first,  the  autlior  wished  to  prove  that  endless 
damnation  is  inconsistent  with  eternal  truths,  and  with  the  apologia 
Fidei,  but  that  the  Everlasting  Gospel  agrees  with  them ;  in  the  second, 
that  the  Everlasting  Gospel  of  the  Restoration  of  all  Things  is  an  article 
of  faith  of  great  importance:  in  the  third,  that  tlicre  is  no  proof  in  the 
Scriptures,  that  the  punishments  inflicted  in  hell  will  be  endless;  in  the 
fourth,  that  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Restoration  is  clearly  revealed  in 
the  Bible;  in  the  fifth,  that  the  difficulties  which  adversaries  suppose  to 
be  connected  with  the  Everlasting  Gospel  are  without  foundation,  and 
lastly,  and  in  the  sixth  plaee,  that  the  Everlasting  Gospel  is  the  point 


A.  D.  1720.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  265 

bering,  that  Gerhard's  work  appeared  in  the  same  year  in 
which  Petersen  died,  (112'7.)  In  the  death  of  the  latter, 
at  the  age  of  78  years,  Universalism  lost  a  very  exemplary, 
learned,  and  sincere  friend.^  His  life  itself  was  a  strong 
defence  round  about  his  doctrine,  for  no  one  could  bring 

•where  the  divine  attributes  meet.    To  one  of  his  tracts  he  prefixed  a  long 

Ereface,  in  which  he  attacked  his  adversaries  by  name,  Gender,  Buddeus, 
ampe,  Gefhard,  Zaniche,  Stockmann,  and  especially  the  Theological 
Professors  at  Rostock.  Gerhard's  book  gave  rise  to  several  other  works. 
It  exerted  a  wide  influence. 

*   JOHN   WILLIAM   PETERSEN. 

The  wife  of  this  man,  Johanna  Eleonora  Petersen,  was  a  believer  in  the 
Restitution  of  all  Things  before  her  husband  received  that  great  doctrine. 
To  this  he  testifies  in  his  autobiography.  She  was  a  convert  to  Jane  Lead, 
of  whom  see  Chap  iii.,  section  xxvi.  pp.  159-163  of  this  history.  Lead 
was  devoted  with  great  ardor  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Jlpokatastasis  Panton. 
She  was  learned,  pious,  meek  and  benevolent;  and  the  doctrine  referred 
to  suited  the  tendernessof  her  heart.  She  wrote  many  works  to  defend  her 
favorite  ideas,  and  by  the  help  of  her  husband's  fortune,  she  published 
and  dispersed  them.  She  exercised  indirectly  a  great  influence  in  Ger- 
many; for  by  bringing  to  the  knowledge  of  her  views,  first  Johanna  Eleo- 
nora Petersen,  and  afterwards  Petersen  himself,  she  gave  to  Germany  two 
of  tiie  most  prominent  defenders  of  Universalism  who  ever  lived  in  that 
country.  Eleonora  wrote  a  book  entited,  "  The  Everlasting  Gospel,"  but 
this  must  not  be  mistaken  for  Klein  Nicolai's.  She  maintained  thai  all 
sin,  of  every  description,  must  come  to  an  end.  That  this  was  written  by 
his  wife,  Petersen  himself  assures  us.  At  the  end  was  an  appendix  of 
gome  writings  in  harmony  with  this  doctrine,  and  some  wonderful  testi- 
monies concerning  Luther,  who  had  doubts  about  the  strictly  endless 
duration  of  punishment.  This  book  was  attacked  by  Wolf,  Helmstadt, 
1699;  by  Koch,  and  by  others.  There  is  such  a  resemblance  between  the 
title  of  Mrs.  Petersen's  work  and  that  of  Klein  Nicolai,  that  at  this  dis- 
tance of  time,  it  becomes  somewhat  diflScult  to  distinguish  between  the 
replies  to  the  two.  The  earliest  replies  to  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  (viz. 
those  which  appeared  before  1700,)  we  think  were  aimed  at  Mrs.  Peter- 
pen's  book;  and  those  which  came  later,  were  designed  to  refute  Klein 
Nicolai's. 

Petersen  having  become  persuaded  that  the  doctrine  avowed  by  his  wife 
was  a  most  important  truth,  revealed  by  the  living  God,  contended 
with  great  ardor  for  it,  and  to  this  end  he  compiled  his  three  volumes, 
folio.  When  the  first  came  out,  not  a  few  attacked  it,  and  for  a  quarter 
of  a  century  it  formed  the  nucleus  of  Universalism,  and  the  object  of 
the  opposition  of  the  enemies  of  that  doctrine.  It  must  have  been  about 
1690,  that  he  set  out  to  refute  the  doctrine  of  Jane  Lead,  but  he  was  cap- 
tivated by  the  great  and  glorious  thought;  and  he  lived  about  thirty- 
seven  years  afterwards  to  defend  it.  He  aimed  at  nothing  as  much  as  de- 
fending the  doctrine  of  the  Restitution.     He  believed  it  a  divine  doctrine, 

clearly  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  agreeing  with  the  will  and  purpose  of 
God,  and  what  all  good  men  must  desire.  All  three  of  Petersen's  folio 
Tolumes  were  in  favor  of  Universalism;  and  this  is  probably  the  largest 
publication  wholly  devoted  to  that  doctrine,  that  ever  appeared  in  the 
world,  unless  we  except  the  consecutive  volumes  of  some  of  the  Univer- 


266  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.      fBookv.Ch.i. 

any  fault  against  him.  He  was  meek,  lowly,  loving,  pure  ; 
but  in  his  devotion  to  his  doctrine  he  had  the  spirit  of  a 
martyr.  Had  he  lived  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  earlier,  he 
would  have  gone  to  the  stake  for  his  opinions.  Thus  when 
God  took  away  one  support  from  his  truth,  he  gave  another, 
for  Gerhard  in  some  measure  filled  the  place  of  Petersen. 

SIEGVOLK    STILL   IN    THE    FIELD. 

XIV.  But  among  those  who  defended  Universalism  in 
those  days,  we  must  still  remember  Siegvolk  or  Klein- 
Nicolai,  who,  in  1129,  published  a  volume  entitled,  "Solid 
but  Modest  Thoughts  on  Mosheim's  unfounded  arguments 
on  the  eternity  of  hell  torments."  "  It  took  up,"  says  Dr. 
Sawyer,  "  not  only  the  tract  before  us,  but  also  Mosheim's 
letter  to  Goenner,  and  grouping  his  positions  together, 
under  various  distinct  heads,  replied  to  them  at  large. 

"  Klein-Nicolai's  style  is  uniformly  clumsy  and  often  ob- 
scure, but  his  views  are  generally  sound  and  clear.  As  a 
logician,  he  is  far  superior  to  his  graceful  opponent,  and  iu 
the  domain  of  Scripture,  there  seems  to  me  to  be  no  com- 
parison between  them.  As  a  scholar,  too,  if  we  may  fairly 
judge  of  the  men  by  these  portions  of  their  labors,  Klein- 
Nicolai  stands  above  Mosheim.  On  this  subject  [Univer- 
salism] he  at  least  has  great  advantage.  He  was  familiar 
with  it,  while  Mosheim's  views  of  it  were  superficial  and 
unsatisfactory."  ^     So  far  Dr.  Sawyer.    Mosheim  afterwards 

salist  journals  of  our  day.  We  have  named  in  another  place  the  writers 
who  appeared  against  Petersen,  and  need  not  repeat  them  here. 

Jane  Lead  died  at  the  very  time  (1704)  when  Petersen  was  laboring:  with 
such  assiduity  to  spread  her  opinions  in  Germany.  He  defended  himself 
against  his  enemies.  The  second  and  third  volumes  of  his  great  work 
contain  sej^arate  essays  in  reply  to  Winchler,  Wolf,  Henfler,  Teuber, 
Pfaff,  Schwerdtner,  Fischlin,  Mercker.Pfeffinger,  &c.,&c.  And  in  other 
books  and  tracts  he  defended  his  long-loved  doctrine  of  the  restitution  of 
all  things.  It  was  the  great  aim  for  which  he  lived,  after  he  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  It  is  impossiide  not  to  do  honor  to  his  memory. 
He  was  earnest  and  indefatigable,  but  he  was  honorable  and  affectionate. 
His  life  was  pure.  He  was  a  devout  believer  in  the  word  of  God.  The 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  were  the  Bource  of  wisdom  to 
him. 

^  Universalist  Quarterly,  xii.  85,  86. 


A.  D,  1730.]  UNIVEESALISM  IN   GERMANY.  267 

made  some  reference  to  the  reply  of  Klein-Nicolai,  but 
merely  to  complain  of  unimportant  things,  and  not  to 
grapple  with  the  main  facts  in  the  case.  The  truth  is, 
Mosheim  was  not  a  strong  opponent  of  the  Restitution.^ 


schlitte's  reply  to  mosheim. 

XV.  Mosheim  found  another  opponent  in  J.  G.  Schlitte, 
who  published  a  work  in  114.1,  entitled,  "  Scriptural  and 
Rational  Consideration  of  the  Proof  both  for  and  against 
the  Endless  Misery  of  the  Transgressors  of  God's  law, 
and  their  ultimate  restoration  and  re-establishment  in  holi- 
ness ;  occasioned  by  Mosheim's  Thoughts  on  endless  pun- 
ishments, and  set  forth  with  all  modesty  out  of  love  for  the 
truth,  and  the  deepest  reverence  for  the  infinite  merit  of 
Christ."  This  work  widened  the  field  of  the  controversy, 
for  four  or  five  other  works  came  out  to  counteract  its 
efiects.  In  fact  the  time  from  1720  to  I'TSO,  was  particu- 
larly rich  in  German  works,  bearing  upon  one  side  or  the 
other  of  the  great  question  of  Universal  Restitution. 

*   FURTHEE  FACTS   CONCEKNINQ  KLEIN  NICOLAI. 

Besides  the  book  entitled  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  Seigvolk,  or.  more 
properly  Klein  Nicolai,  wrote  "  Considerations  on  Henfler's  lately  pub- 
lished ti-eatise  against  the  holy  doctrine  of  the  blessed  restitution  of  all 
things."  This  is  also  in  the  second  volume  of  Petersen's  great  work. 
Klein  Nicolai  also  wrote  "  Vain  Contest  against  Truth  and  Innocence, 
whicli  Dr.  Neuss  has  be2;un,  to  his  eternal  shame  in  the  treatise  entitled, 
*'  Refutations  of  the  Everlasting  Gospel,  falsely  so  called,"  i.  e.  falsely 
called  a  refutation.     Aschersleben,  1711,  8vo. 

He  also  wrote  "  Statements  of  what  must  be  distinctly  understood  ac- 
cording to  the  true  sense  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  Restoration  of  all 
Things  spoken  of  in  Acts  iii.  21,  and  the  everlasting  gospel  mentioned  in 
Rev,  xiv.  6 ;"  1717 .  In  this  work  his  aim  was  to  persuade  his  readers  that 
the  belief  in  Universal  Restoration  is  not  repugnant  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
Evangelical  Church  nor  to  the  Auersburg  Confession. 

He  also  wrote  "  Well  Grounded  but  Modest  Thoughts  concerning  Mos- 
heim's Reasonings  upon  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Punishments.  Published  by 
request,  1729,  8vo.  And  then  there  came  from  the  same  author,  "  Inves- 
tigation of  some  of  the  most  Important  Questions  concerning  the  Kingdom 
of  Christ,"  1729,  8vo. ;  a  work  of  ability  about  the  Millenium  and  Uni- 
versal Restitution,  in  the  form  of  a  dialogue. 


268  MODERN    HISTORY    OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Eookv.  Ch.i. 

THE   CONTROVERSY    FOR   TEN    YEARS,  1740-1750. 

XVI.  We  give  here,  with  some  verbal  changes,  an  article 
translated  by  Dr.  Sawyer,  and  published  in  the  Christian 
Ambassador,  under  date  of  January,  1855  : 

I  propose  to  translate  an  article  from  a  series  of  volumes  in  the 
Historical  Library,  entitled  Acta  Historico-Ecclesiasticai  published 
at  Weimar,  Germany,  during  a  succession  of  years,  beginning  ia 
1736.  The  article  which  I  here  translate  is  found  in  Vol.  xi.  p.  94G, 
et  seq.  and  originally  appeared  in  1747.  It  is  entitled  :  ^^ Recent  His- 
tory of  the  doctrine  of  the  Restoration  of  all  things." 

"  The  doctrine  of  the  restoration  of  the  damned  is  making  of  late 
here  and  there,  and  especially  in  the  Electorate  of  Brandenburg,  no 
little  commotion.  There  are  men,  both  clerical  and  lay,  Avho  engage 
in  the  controversy  on  one  side  and  the  other.  Among  these  is 
Provost  and  Inspector  Siegmund  Baerensprung,  at  Neuangermuende, 
•who  as  early  as  1739  published  under  his  own  name  a  work  of 
368  pp.  8vo.,  under  the  title — The  restoration  of  all  things  to 
their  good  original  state  at  the  creation,  exhibited  according  to  its 
proof  and  counter-proof.  In  this  work  the  author  took  great  pains 
to  explain  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  words  by  which  eternity  is  ex- 
pressed, in  such  a  manner  as  to  remove  the  principal  objection  to  the 
restoration,  and  also  to  convince  his  readers  that  this  doctrine  is 
founded  on  the  eternal  priesthood  of  Christ;  on  the  universal  mon- 
archy of  his  kingdom  ;  on  all  the  divine  attributes  ;  yea,  on  both  Scrip- 
ture and  reason,  and  thus  indeed  that  pardon  is  promised  to  Lucifer 
himself  and  the  whole  host  of  wicked  spirits. 

"  Next  to  him  an  old  Inspector  at  Wusterhausen  by  the  name  of 
Woelner,  published  a  restorationist  Catechism,  under  the  following 
title  : —  The  holy  doctrine  of  the  restoration  of  all  things,  briefly  but 
satisfactorily  exhibited  to  the  simplest  capacity  from  the  ivord  of  God, 
in  question  and  answer.  The  old  man  teaches  the  doctrine  publicly 
from  the  pulpit,  and  proves  it  among  other  things,  by  these  words : 
"He  will  lose  his  gray  head  —  nay,  he  will  pledge  his  sou!,  if  it 
is  not  true."  In  his  catechism  he  sets  forth  his  opinion  as  glori- 
ously as  if  he  believed  it  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  cor- 
rection, for  instruction  in  righteousness,  and  that  it  would  awaken 
men  out  of  the  sleep  of  security,  and  incite  them  to  true  holiness. 
This  indeed  he  expresses  in  a  special  hymn  which  he  subjoins. 

"  Those  who  would  be  particularly  pious  above  others,  teach  and 
confess  this  doctrine  to  one  another,  and  industriously  read  Sieg- 
volk's  Everlasting  Gospel,  which  Restel  some  time  ago  republished 
with  some  bad  annotations ;  insomuch  that  Whiston's  prophecy  in 
his  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments,  that  this  doctrine  would  soon  come 
to  be  publicly  preached,  seems  to  be  already  fulfilled,  as  was  remark- 
ed in  1745,  in  the  thirteenth  number  of  the  Altona  Literary  Times. 
In  the  Berlin  State  and  Literary  Times,  of  1742,  in  the  151st  num- 
ber, we  read  the  open-hearted  confession:  — "  We  cannot  deny  that 


A.  D.  1747  ]  UNTVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  269 

the  doctrine  of  the  restoration  or  the  salvation  of  the  damned  finds 
such  strong  proofs  in  sound  reason,  in  the  holy  Scriptures,  and  even 
in  the  justice  and  mercy  of  God  himself,  that  no  one  has  yet,  at 
least,  been  fully  able  to  overthrow  them." 

"  Restel's  new  edition  of  Siegvolk  or  Klein-Nicolai's  book  is  entitled, 
George  Paul  SiegvoWs  Everlasting  Gospel  of  Eternal  Redemption 
commanded  to  be  preached  to  all  creatures  by  Jesus  Christ,  through 
whom  it  has  been  obtained.  A  new  edition  enlarged  by  C.  C,  B., '  a 
disciple  of  Jesus  Christ.     Frankfort  and  Leipzig,  1743. 

"  Before  proceeding  farther,  we  must  mention  that  in  the  very  same 
year  in  which  an  attempt  was  made  to  extend  the  doctrine  of  the  resto- 
ration through  the  work  of  Baerensprung,  another  man  in  the  neigh- 
boring Pomerania  set  himself  in  opposition  to  it.  For  there  was  pub- 
lished, A  confession  of  the  love  of  God  according  to  the  truth,  in  the 
doctrine  of  endless  punishment,  drawn  up  from  his  oicn  conviction,  and 
published  for  the  confirmation  of  others,  by  Jacob  Voss.  Stettin, 
1739.  8vo.  152  pp.  In  this  work  the  author  labored  to  meet  the 
friends  of  the  restoration  on  the  ground  of  reason  and  Scripture. 

"  Meanwhile  there  were  not  wanting  advocates  of  the  restoration 
after  this.  For  when  John  Ernest  Schubert,  then  Adjunct  at  Jena, 
and  now  Superintendent  at  Stadthagen,  had  published  in  quarto  at 
Jena,  in  1741,  his  Rational  Thoughts  on  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Punish- 
ments, we  immediately  see  :  The  universal  love  and  grace  of  God,  in 
the  salvation  of  all  men,  interspersed  with  remarks  upon  SchuberVs 
Rational  Tlioughts  on  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Punishments.  By  a 
Friend  of  the  Tmth.  Frankfort  and  Leipzig,  1742.  8vo.  368  pp. 
The  author  renictined  anonymous,  chose  obscure  methods  in  the  pub- 
lication of  his  book,  and  employed  such  an  obscure  stylo  that  he  who 
would  understand  him  finds  no  little  trouble.  But  scarcely  was  this 
work  before  the  public,  when  Schubert  brought  out  anew  his  tract, 
mentioned  above,  enlarged  it  by  Scripture  proofs,  and  made  short 
■work  with  his  opposer.  The  title  is  —  Rational  and  Scriptural 
Thoughts  07i  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Punishments,  together  with  a  vindi- 
cation of  himself  against  an  anonymoiis  Friend  of  the  Restoration. 
4to.  592  pp. 

"  Last  year  there  appeared  against  Mosheim,  a  '  Scriptural  and  ra- 
tional consideration  of  the  proofs  both  for  and  against  the  endless 
misery  of  the  transgressors  of  God's  law,  and  their  ultimate  restora- 
tion and  re-establishment  in  holiness  ;  occasioned  by  Mosheim's 
Thoughts  on  the  doctrine  of  the  end  of  Hell  Punishments,  and  set 
forth  with  all  modesty,  out  of  love  for  the  truth,  and  the  deepest 
reverence  for  the  infinite  merit  of  Christ.'  Frankfort  and  Leipzig, 
1747.  8vo.  272  pp. 

"  This  work  was  praised  in  the  Berlin  Times,  No.  131,  and  still  was 
found  fault  with,  because  the  author  does  not  show  how  punishments 
can  beget  true  virtue,  since  this  must  spring  from  love ;  and  wishes 
to  parley  as  it  were,  on  the  supposition  of  a  year  of  Jubilee,  and  to 

1  C.    C.  Restel. 


270  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.     [Book  v.  Oh.  i. 

make  a  thousand  years  out  of  every  year  or  every  day.  After  a 
■while  it  was  discovered  that  Schlitte,  the  adjunct  inspector  at  Wus- 
terhausen,  was  the  author  of  this  work,  and  that  it  was  published  at 
the  expense  of  a  wealthy  nobleman,  who  is  deeply  interested  in  this 
doctrine.  The  author  has  here  opposed  particularly  the  appendix  of 
Mosheim  in  the  first  volume  of  his  Sermons,  and  examined  the  letter 
which  he  published  in  the  second  volume  against  Pagenkop.  He  has 
also  subjoined  a  peculiar  appendix.  For  a  French  work  under  the  title 
— '  Le  systeme  des  ITieologiens  anciens  et  modernes  concilie  par 
r  exposition  des  differens  sentimens  sur  1'  etat  des  ames  separees 
des  corps.  En  quatorze  Lettres,'  &c. ;  i.  e.,  '  The  system  of  the 
theologians,  ancient  and  modern,  reconciled  by  the  exposition  of 
different  opinions  upon  the  state  of  souls  separated  from  the  body. 
In  fourteen  Letters,'  had  been  published  in  London,  first  in  17^1, 
and  afterwards  in  1733  and  1739,  8vo.  In  this  work  the  author  main- 
tained the  restoration  of  all  things,  and  also  the  doctrine  of  a  middle 
state  for  souls  after  death.  In  a  second  part —  Suite  du  systeme,  &c., 
(Sequel  to  the  System,)  he  vindicated  his  opinion  against  a  work: 
Examen  de  V  Origenisme,  par  M.  le  Professeur  R***.  (Examination 
of  Origenism.  By  Prof.  R.)  This  work  Schlitte  introduces  and 
praises  as  one  in  which  the  restoration  is  clearly  proved,  and  he  pre- 
sents it  as  an  evidence  that  this  doctrine  is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures 
and  written  in  every  heart,  and  must  be  true,  because  two  persons  so 
far  removed  from  one  another  have  been  brought  into  it.  But  not- 
withstanding this,  he  finds  some  very  suspicious  principles  in  it, 
which  he  points  out,  and  to  which  he  will  give  no  countenance. 

"  Meanwhile,  there  were  various  persons  who  vigorously  opposed 
Schlitte.  Pastor  Stein  of  Drense,  near  Prentzlau,  has  in  two  treati- 
ses confuted  this  doctrine,  and  examined  Restel's  notes  on  Siegvolk's 
Everlasting  Gospel.  One  of  these  treatises  will  be  published  by  it- 
self; the  other  is  to  appear  in  a  collection  of  small  polemical  pieces, 
which  Senior  Wagner,  of  Hamburg,  has  promised  the  public. 

"  A  village  preacher,  Oeorgi,  sixty-five  years  of  age,  appeared  and 
published  a  book  of  184  pp.  8vo.  against  the  doctrine,  imder  the  title 
—  '  Absurdities  in  a  work  of  two  eminent  Restorationists,  who  have 
published  against  the  discourses  of  Mosheim  on  Eternal  Damnation, 
exhibited  and  proved.  By  one  who  has  to  his  old  age  been  an 
enemy  of  the  Restoration,  and  remains  so  still,' &c. 

"  In  reply  to  this  appeared  — '  An  answer  to  the  Absurdities, 
which  a  clergyman  has  published  against  the  friends  of  the  Restora- 
tion, sketched  by  some  true  friends  of  good  books.'  4to.  1747. 
But  since  this  bold  and  excited  preacher,  the  old  Georgi,  attacked 
many  others  at  the  same  time,  and  especially  introduced  many  per- 
sonalities against  '  the  distinguished  nobleman,'  and  '  the  eminent 
clergyman,'  as  he  calls  them,  the  Attorney  General  has  instituted  an 
action  against  him,  and  caused  his  work  to  be  suppressed  as  a  lam- 
poon. And  as  to  the  main  point,  he  has  defended  his  cause  with 
but  moderate  ability.  On  the  other  hand,  several  other  works  have 
appeared  against  that  of  Schlitte.     Among  them  maybe  numbered, 

"  1.  Prof.  Frederick  Stiebritz's   '  Eternity  of  Hell  Punishments 


A.  D.  1750.1  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMAKY.  2'tl 

proved,  together  with  an  answer  to  the  Considerations  against  Mos- 
heim.'  Halle,  1747.  8vo.  464  pp.  The  author  first  presents  a 
history  of  the  doctrine  of  the  restoration,  then  in  the  first  part  he  ex- 
hibits the  proof  for  the  eternity  of  hell  punishments,  drawn  partic- 
ularly from  the  nature  of  sin,  and  confirmed  by  the  Holy  Scriptures  ; 
and  in  the  second  part  examines  the  pretended  arguments  of  his  op- 
poser. 

"  2.  '  Defence  of  the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  hell  punishments, 
against  the  Scriptural  and  Rational  Consideration,'  &c.  Frankfort 
and  Leipzig,  1747.  8vo.  288  pp.  The  author  is  anonymous.  In  the 
first  place  he  states  and  examines  the  grounds  on  which  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel  is  built ;  then  he  proves  the  eternity  of  hell  punish- 
ments, and  in  the  third  place  comes  to  the  rescue  of  Mosheim. 

"  3.  '  Impartial  Examination  of  the  Treatise  entitled.  Scriptural 
and  Rational  Consideration,  &c.,  written  to  justify  the  Thoughts  of 
the  venerable  Mosheim,  and  published  by  Henry  Meene.'  First 
part.  Helmstadt,  1747.  8vo.  448  pp.  What  Counsellor  Meene  of 
Quedlinburg,  a  relative  of  Chancellor  Mosheim,  promised  in  the  Got- 
tingen  Literary  Times  he  has  here  fulfilled,  but  at  present^  he  has 
published  only  three  chapters,  in  which  he  states  the  opinions  on 
both  sides,  and  the  sources  from  which  the  two  doctrines  are  deriv- 
ed, and  undertakes  to  explain  what  sound  reason  has  to  say  on  the 
subject,  while  the  rest  is  left  for  us  to  expect  in  the  second  part. 

"  4.  Prof.  Canz's  ninth  part  of  the  '  Reinbeck  Considerations  upon 
the  Augsburg  Confession,'  in  which  he  has,  in  a  supplement,  ex- 
pressed his  thoughts  upon  the  Scriptural  and  Rational  Consideration, 
but  only  on  the  question.  How  the  Gospel  could  be  preached  in  hell, 
and  the  damned  brought  to  repentance. 

"  5.  Chancellor  Mosheim,  in  the  preface  to  the  fourth  part  of  his 
Moral  Philosophy,  has  himself  promised  to  attend  to  his  opposer, 
but  has  hitherto  been  prevented  from  the  execution  of  his  design." 

Thus  ends  this  article.  And  it  must  be  confessed  that  it  exhibits 
a  pretty  active  controversy  for  the  space  of  ten  years  or  something 
less.  Earnest  as  we  have  been  in  America,  there  have  been  few  pe- 
riods in  our  history,  of  the  same  length,  in  which  more  works  have 
appeared  for  and  against  the  doctrine  of  Universalism  than  we 
have  recorded  here.  In  Walch's  History  of  Religious  Controver- 
sies, in  and  out  of  the  Lutheran  Church;  in  Kraft's  New  TheoL 
Library,  as  also  in  Ernesti's,  we  have  a  large  collection  of  similar,  and 
many  more  elaborate  notices  of  various  works  and  discussions  on 
this  subject,  upon  which  the  Germans  have  been  more  or  less  en- 
gaged ever  since  the  Reformation. 

LATTER    PART    OF    THE    EIGHTEENTH    CENTURY. 

XVII.  In  1140,  was  born  that  benevolent  Universalist, 
Jun"-  Stilling,  but  his  writings  in  behalf  of  Universalism 
did  not  commence  until  near  the  close  of  the  century.    We 


272  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.   [Book  v  Ch.  i. 

will  notice  the  good  man  again  in  another  place.  From 
about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  doctrine 
of  endless  misery  has  been  generally  doubted  in  Germany. 
Some  few  there  have  always  been  to  defend  it ;  but  the 
better  part  of  the  theologians  of  that  country  have  pre- 
ferred to  speak  doubtfully,  candidly,  cautiously  on  this 
great  subject.  They  do  not  care  to  make  the  matter 
prominent.  Many  there  are  who  will,  at  all  events,  oppose 
the  dogma  of  endless  punishments  ;  others  prefer  to  pass 
the  matter  over  in  silence,  and  some  few  approve  that  dog- 
ma. Thiess  says,  that  "  thinking  Christians  will  not  readily 
seek  for  proofs  for  or  against  eternal  punishments  in  the 
Old  Testament,  nevertheless  it  is  thought  there  are  some 
passages  therein  that  prove  that  doctrine.  In  the  New 
Testament  passages  are  found  both  for  and  against  that 
doctrine."  1  Doederlein,  although  quite  evangelical,  says, 
on  Matt.  XXV.  46,  "  Even  if  the  most  definite  use  of  the  word 
aionios,  should  cut  off  every  hope  of  an  end,  and  if  we  do 
not  take  into  consideration  the  design  of  the  speech  and 
the  figures  of  parables,  nevertheless,  except  the  eternity  ol 
a  certain  commonwealth  of  the  condemned,  I  do  not  see 
what  inferences  can  be  drawn  from  these  words."  [Inst. 
Theol.  Christ.  Part  ii,  p.  150  fol.]  Rosenmuller  speaks 
doubtfully  in  some  places  about  strictly  endless  punish- 
ments, and  so  do  many  others  of  the  best  scholars  in  Ger- 
many, who  do  not  choose  to  declare  plainly  that  all  men 
shall  at  last  be  saved.  No  one  can  read  the  German 
tlieologians  without  seeing  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  a  large  share  of  the  public  confidence 
in  the  dogma  of  endless  punishments  had  passed  away. 
In  the  system  of  doctrines  (says  Thiess)  which  the  apostles 
of  our  Lord  communicated  to  the  first  Christian  commu- 
nities, the  dogma  of  "  eternal  punishments  in  hell,"  seems 

*  For  this  and  many  other  quotations  from  Thiess,  see  his  work  entitled, 
'*  Biblical  and  Ecclesiastical  Teachings  on  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Punish- 
ments, by  J.  Otto  Thiess." 


A.  D.  1750.]  UN17ERSALISM  IN   GERMANY.  273 

not  to  have  been  contained  as  a  particular  doctrine,  at 
least  not  as  a  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  Christian  religion. 
The  only  place  from  which  such  a  conclusion  might  be 
drawn,  is  Hebrews  vi.  2.  And,  indeed,  Dr.  Storr,  in  his 
Explanations  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  says:  "  These 
truths  belong  to  the  very  elements  of  Christianity.  Acts 
xxvi.  31 ;  X.  42.  1  Cor.  xv.  13,  19,  29  foil."  But  all 
these  and  several  other  passages,  which  may  be  quoted 
here,  can  only  be  considered  as  proofs  of  the  other  doc- 
trines which  are  mentioned  there,  and  especially  of  the 
main  doctrine  of  a  life  after  death. 

This  main  doctrine  is  presented  by  Saint  Paul,  Heb. 
vi.  2,  under  a  twofold  aspect  of  "  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead,  and  an  eternal  judgment ;"  and  it  is  very  doubtful 
whether  the  latter  expression  really  refers  to  the  punish- 
ments, and  condemnation  of  the  wicked  Jews,  and  not  to  the 
last,  and  therefore  eternal  judgment  in  general,  as  a  con- 
sequence of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which  after  all  is 
to  be  considered  as  a  blessed  one.  At  any  rate,  the  men- 
tion of  endless  punishments  is  a  very  general  one.  This 
doctrine  also  is  put  beside  the  article  of  the  laying  on  of 
hands,  which  in  our  Christian  faith,  can  be  considered 
neither  as  a  distinctive  nor  as  a  fundamental  doctrine. 

In  the  so-called  apostolic  creed,  continues  Thiess,  the 
doctrine  of  everlasting  punishment  is  not  mentioned.  The 
language  is  :  "I  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh 
and  in  eternal  life  ;"  —  almost  in  the  same  connection  as 
in  Heb.  vi.  2.  In  the  same  manner  as  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment  in  hell  has  been  derived  from  this  pas- 
sage, and  even  laid  down  as  a  fundamental^  doctiine  of 
the  Christian  religion,  one  could  draw  the  conclusion  from 
this  creed,  (which  certainly  is  very  old,  and  if  not  original 
and  genuine,  is  truly  apostolic,  that  is,  truly  Christian,) 
that  the  first  Christians  denied  the  idea  of  eternal  punish- 
ments, now  so  general,  that  they  had  an  entirely  contrary 


274  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.      Book  v.  Ch  I. 

doctrine  in  regard  to  this  point,  that  is  to  say,  that  they 
believed  only  in  eternal  life. 

The  doctrine  of  Universalism  was  not  formally  con- 
demned, until  the  convocation  of  the  so-called  fifth  general 
council  of  the  church,  which  the  Emperor  Justinian  con- 
voked in  the  year  552.  The  ninth  article  of  this  council 
runs  thus  :  "  If  anybody  teaches  or  believes  that  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  devils  and  the  wicked  be  only  transitory, 
and  that  it  will  end  some  time,  that  is  to  say,  that  there 
will  be  a  restitution  of  the  devils  and  of  the  wicked,  he 
shall  be  accursed."  It  was  five  hundred  and  fifty  years 
after  Christ,  before  the  doctrine  of  Univeralism  was  con- 
demned by  authority.  It  had  taken  all  this  time  for  the 
dogma  of  endless  torments  to  obtain  the  position  which 
should  render  it  heresy  to  deny  it. 

Thiess  maintained  again  that  in  the  so-called  symbolic 
books  of  the  Evangelic-Lutheran  Church,  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less punishment  is  mentioned  only  once  and  that  in  the 
most  general  way,  more  in  negative  than  in  positive  ex- 
pressions, viz.  in  the  "  Augsburg  Confession." 

The  seventeenth  article,  speaking  of  the  coming  of 
Christ  to  judgment,  contains  the  following :  "  It  is  also 
taught  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  come  at  the  last 
day  to  judgment,  to  raise  all  the  dead,  to  give  eternal  life 
and  joy  to  the  faithful  and  selected,  but  he  will  condemn  the 
wicked  and  the  devils  unto  hell  and  everlasting  punishment. 
Therefore  the  Anabaptists  will  be  rejected,  who  are  teach- 
ing that  the  devils  and  the  condemned  men  will  not  suffer 
eternal  torments."  Comp.  C.  Sonntag's  Vindicige  Aug 
Conf.  artic.  17.  Altonae,  1108  ;  S.  J.  Baumgarten's  Expla- 
nations, etc.     Halle,  1147,  p.  63,  foil. 

There  had  been  in  Germany,  it  is  true,  some  who  believed 
in  the  endless  torment  of  the  wicked,  but  Thiess  maintains 
there  had  always  been  some  more  liberal  Christians,  especi- 
ally Evangelic-Lutheran  teachers  and  writers,  who  did  not 


A.D.  17r>0.]  UNIVERSALTSM   IN   GERJLART.  275 

approve  the  common  opinion,  but  opposed  it  publicly,  or 
at  least  did  not  always  speak  of  it  in  handed-down  expres- 
sions, and  who  have  laid  down  their  own  opinions  to  be 
examined  and  reflected  upon  by  others.* 

1  Thiess  gives  the  following  facts  in  proof,  —  "  Ernestus  Sonners  vprote, 
1630,  "  Demonstratio  theol.  etphilos.  quod  aeternasupplicia  irapioruiu  non 
justitiam  Dei  arguent  sed  injustiam,"  against  whom  G.  VV.  Leibnitz  and  H. 
Huthmann  have  made  some  remarks,  whicli,  however,  have  not  been  print- 
ed. Leibnitz  mentions  it  in  his  Theodicee,  P.  IIL  §§  '26(3-271 ,  pp.  4-30-455. 
He  intended  to  publish  it  with  a  preface  and  notes.  Mosheim  also  intended 
to  confute  it,  and  already  in  his  first  treatise  concerning  eternal  punish- 
ment, which  he  added  to  his  first  volume  of  Sermons,  1725,  he  referred 
to  Sunners  as  to  the  most  sagacious  opponent  of  this  doctrine,  but  the 
work  was  not  published.  The  pi'eface  of  Leibnitz  has  been  published  by 
Lessing. 

Important  objections  to  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment  have  been 
made  by  Bayle  ("La  response  aux  questions,"  &c.  &c.) 

In  England  several  writings  of  this  kind  had  been  published  in  the  last 
century,  among  which  Rich;irdson's,  1658;  new  edit.,  1708,  m  the  2d  book 
of  the  collection  entitled,  "  The  Phenix,  or  a  revival  of  scarce  and  valua- 
ble pieces,"  p.  427,  full.  Vol.  I.  p.  1,  there  is  a  like  treatise,  "  A  letter  of 
resolution  concerning  Origen  and  the  chief  of  his  opinions,  by  C.  L. ,  Es- 
quire," Lond.  1661.  Leade  wrote  a  so-called  gospel,  "  A  revelation  of  the 
everlasting  Gospel-message,  that  by  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant 
all  prisoners  shall  be  free."  Lond.  1697.  This  book  was  translated  into 
German  by  a  member  of  the  Philadelphian  Society,  with'a  short  appendix 
of  passages  from  Scripture  in  proof  of  the  doctrine,  and  several  remarka- 
ble testimonies  of  Luther,  1699.     It  occasioned  much  debate. 

J  Will.  Petersen  intended  to  refute  Leade's  book,  but  during  the  perusal 
he  was  taken  with  her  opinions,  and  at  length  convinced  ;  see  his  biogra- 
phy, p.  2?1.  Probably  induced  by  him,  his  wife  Johanna  Eleonora  Petersen, 
made  the  translation  mentioned  above,  and  wrought  the  book  over  again. 
Against  this  several  writings  appeared  immediately.  John  Joach.  Wolf: 
"  Short  remarks  concerning  the  question, — wliether  after  this  life  a  univer* 
sal  restoration  may  be  hoped  in  truth."  Helmst.  1699.  Christ.  Gottl. 
Koch,  "  Apokatastaseos.  Act.  III.  21.solida  et  orthodoxa  expositio."  Kil. 
1699.  Zach.  Grapius,  "  Examination  of  a  book  called  The  Everlasting 
Gospel-"  Rost.  1699.  Thom.  Ittig,  "  Do  evangelio  mortuis  adnunti- 
ato,"  Leipz.  lo99,  whose  treatise  was  aimed  at  the  same  time  against  F. 
H.  Lichtscheid's  "  Christian  reflections  upon  the  book  of  the  Everlasting 
Gospel."  Leipz.  1700.  ZuUich.  1733.  John  Wern.  Pistorius,  "God's 
eternal  judgment  of  wrath."  Magdeb  1700.  Against  all  these  and 
several  later  opponents  Petersen  endeavored  to  defend  himself  in  a  large 
work,  of  which  the  1st  Vol.  appeared  under  the  title:  Musterion  Apoka- 
tastaseos  panton,  that  is.  Mystery  of  the  Restoration  of  all  things. 
(Otienbach)  1701.  The  2d  Vol.:  The  Mystery  of  the  restoration  of  all 
things  through  Jesus  Christ,  1703,  and  the  3d  :  The  restoration  of  all 
things  proved  from  the  Scripture,  17l0.  His  name  appears  in  the  title- 
page  of  this  last  volume. 

The  principal  opponents  of  Petersen  were — John  Winkler  in  the  preface 
to  the  sermons  of  Ilorbius  on  the  sufferings  of  Christ.  Hamb.  1700. 
John  Ray:  "  The  world's  beginning,  change  and  fall. "  p.  435,  foil.  John 
Haenfler,  "Candid  Dialogue."  1702.  J.  Chr.  Pfaff,  "  derestitutione  omnium 
rerum.''    Tub.  1705,    J.  D.  Schwerdtner:  "Examination  according  to  tli^ 


276  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Bookv.Ch.i. 

Though  no  one,  says  the  German  writer,  can  be  prohibited 
from  full  examination,  yet  every  true  searcher  and  friend 
of  truth  must  always  take  heed,  lest  his  opinions,  even  if 

Scripture."  Dresd.  1706.  Sam.  Chr.  Teuber:  "  geminum  argumentum. " 
Magd.  1708  L.  Melch.  Fischlin:  •'  theatrurc  mysterii  Apokat.  pan.  de- 
nudatum  et  destructum."  Ulm.  1715.  Complete  demonstration  tliat  the 
Everlasting  Gospel  is  false."  1715.  John  Mercker:  "Treatise  on  the 
restoration  of  all  things."  1708.  H.  G.  Neusius'  "  Refutation  of  the  Ever- 
lasting Gospel."  1700.  Against  which  G.  Paul  Siegvolk  or  Klein-Nicolai, 
mentioned  before,  wrote  —  "Vain  strife  against  truth  and  innocence." 
Ashersl.  1711.  Daniel  Pfeffinger  "  de  restitutione  diabolorum."  Strasb. 
1709.  Beside  the  chief-work,  Petersen  wrote  concerning  this  matter,  "  The 
whole  economy  of  God's  love  in  Christ."  Magd.  1707.  "The  glory  of  the 
Lamb's  bride."  1718.  "  The  testimony  of  the  truth  concerning  the  restitu- 
tion of  all  things."  1718.  "Alethea  victrix."  1726.  Also,  a  collection  of 
writings  made  its  appearance,  "  The  universal  love  of  God  triumphant 
over  calumny,"  17i6,  most  of  them  from  the  pen  of  Petersen.  Against 
him  also — Zachary  Portzig:  "  Truth  triumphant."  Altbg.  1722.  Theoph. 
Hirschfeld  ;  "  Erroneous  doctrine  of  the  Redemption  of  the  Condemned." 
Hamb.  1725.  And  "Evident  proof."  1726.  Against  which  Christ.  Pagenkop 
wrote:    "  Truth  vindicated  by  J.  W.  Petersen."    1727. 

Christophr  Seebach  tried  to  spread  the  doctrine  of  the  restoration  of  all 
things  through  the  following  writings:  "  Explanation  of  the87th  Psalm." 
1707.  Of  the  145th  Psalm.  1708.  Of  the  66th  Psalm.  (Petersen,  Alast. 
Apokat.  Vol.  III.)  "Representatio  apostol.  ecclesiae."  Leips.  1721.  Comp. 
"  Unschuldige  Nachrichen"  1707,  p.  708;  1709,  p.  495. 

G.  Klein-Nicolai  published,  under  the  name  of  G.  P.  Siegvolk,  "  The 
Gospel  of  eternal  salvation  through  Jesus,  the  judge  of  the  living  and 
the  dead,  ordered  by  him  to  be  preached  to  all  creatures."  1700, 
1705,  1713,  Leips.  1730.  New  edition  by  C.  C.  Restel.  Frankf.  and  Leipa. 
(Altona. )  1743,  comp.  Kraft's  Information  of  the  latest  theol-  books. 
Vol.  II.  Jen.  1743,  p.  405,  foil.  "Considerations  on  Haenfler's  Tr."  (in 
Petersen's  Myst.  Vol.  II.)  "  Vain  strife,"  etc.,  see  above.  "Explanation 
of  what  must  be  understood  by  the  restoration  of  all  things,  mentioned  in 
Actsiii.  21."  1717:  "Well-grounded  and  sober  thoughts  on  Mosheim'a 
thoughts."  1729:  "  Discussion  of  some  of  the  most  important  questions 
concerning  Christ's  kingdom."  1720. 

"  Dialogue  in  the  Kingdom  of  Grace,  between  Theoph.  Lebrecht  and 
Dositheus  Eleison,  concerning  the  universal  redemption  of  all  mankind." 
1722. —  Against  it:  Truth,  triumphant  in  the  Kingdom  of  Grace.  Wah- 
renb.  1727. —  "  Dialogue  in  the  realm  of  Truth."  "Considerations  against 
the  so-called  Restoration,"  1728. —  Ludwig  Gerhard:  "  Systema  Apoka- 
tastaseos;  that  is,  Comi>lete  docti'ine  of  the  Everlasting  Gospel  of  the 
Restoration  of  all  things,"  1717. —  Supplementary  is,  "Thorough  vindi- 
cation and  defence."  1728. —  Short  exposition  of  the  Eveiiasting  Gospel. 
1729. 

The  leading  German  divines  and  theological  writers  argued  for  modera- 
tion. Good  men  had  taken  both  sides  of  the  question,  some  on  one  side, 
some  on  the  other;  there  were  reasons  for  both  sides;  let  each  one  judge 
forhimself  and  be  charitable  to  others.  In  cultivating  a  charitable  spirit, 
a  man  will  be  sure  to  please  God.  Such  was  the  ground  taken  by  the 
wise  and  good  in  Germany,  all  along  through  the  middle  of  this  century; 
few  taught  without  doubt  the  doctrine  of  endless  torments;  and  the  belief 
in  the  final  happiness  of  all  men  i)revailed  more  and  more. 

John  Solomon  Seniler,  "  Institutio  ad  doctrinam  Christianamliberaliter 


A.  D.  1150.  UNITERSALTSM   IN   GERMANY.  277 

he  finds  them  completely  evangelical,  and  therefore  utters 
them  frankly,  may  offend.  Especially  must  we,  and  above 
all,  young  ministers,  be  careful  in  the  pulpit,  both  in  con- 

discendam,"  Hal.  1774,  p.  688,  foil.  "  Moreover,  we  must  not  judge  forth- 
with too  harshly  all  those  who  believe  they  find  something  in  the  perfect 
idea  of  a  Supreme  Being,  which  they  may  use  in  behalf  of  that 
joyful  hope  concerning  so  many  xmhappy  men;  nevertheless,  we  must 
admit  that  the  imperfect  judgment  of  men  cannot  pretend  to  decide  thus 
concerning  the  right  and  the  dominion  of  the  Most  High .  Our  compassion 
acts  without  reason,  because  we  have  not  that  infinite  knowledge  which 
is  required  here.  We,  therefore,  who  understand  correctly  enough  that 
that  unhappiness  will  not  be  outward  pain,  but  that  the  state  of  our 
own  minds  prepares  us  hell,  should  rather  strive  that  we  ourselves  may 
attain  a  sure  and  permanent  happiness;  whatever  at  last  may  be  the 
history  of  those  whom  we  already  here  call  not  unjustly  bad  and  wicked. 
We  shall  abstain  from  unsettled  questions  of  this  kind.  But  if  there  are 
any  who  prefer  that  opinion,  which  is  rather  bold,  yet  they  can  with  no 
right  pretend  that  they  possess  a  greater  piety  towards  God  and  men,  and 
cannot  publicly  despise  or  ridicule  the  sentiments  of  their  adversaries: 
they  are  rather  so  fiir  from  the  desire  of  usefulness,  that  in  this  manner 
they  give  much  scandal  to  many  less  acquainted  with  the  matter.  Othera 
may  have  believed,  and  we  know  that  formerly  there  have  been  those 
who  believed,  that  the  place  of  torments  was  in  the  ocean,  in  the  bowels 
of  the  earth,  in  the  sun,  in  volcanic  mountains,  too  boldly  and  too  incon- 
siderately; but  they  have  felt  that  their  religious  care  and  watchfulness 
were  increased  by  such  pictures.  If  there  are  those  who  believe  that  they 
can  live  better  without  these  conceptions,  let  them  also  follow  the  opinion 
which  tends  to  make  them  better  Christians. 

Joh.  Aug.  Eberhard — "  New  Apology  for  Socrates,"  vol.1,  new  edition. 
Berlin,  1776,  p.  359,  foil.  Vol.  II.  1773,  p.  379,  foil.  Ernesti's  opinion 
concerning  this  book,  was,  (Newest  libr.  vol.  II.  p.  631  and  G33,)  "  Con- 
cerning  the  dogmatical  proofs  the  author  is  sometimes  right;  the  exegeti- 
cal  only  are  not  "  refuted."  The  writer  also  was  not  acquainted  enough 
with  the  history  and  literature  of  this  doctrine.  The  names  of  the  fathers 
of  the  Church,  quoted  p.  370,  are  copied  from  Grotius  in  Matt-  ti.5,  46. 
To  the  remai-ks  which  Eberhard  made  in  his  treatise,  p.  396,  full., 
against  Leibnitz,  Lessing  gave  an  answer  (to  the  Hist,  and  Lit.  I. 
Contribut.  p.  214,  full. )  saying,  most  appropriately,  "Eberhard  would 
have  done  better  if  he  had  not  spoken  of  this  point  in  an  Apology  for 
Socrates,  as  the  latter  believed  in  eternal  punishments  of  the  wicked." 
Eberhard  made  remarks  on  Lessing's  objections,  especially  in  the  second 
book. 

Samuel  Mursinna — "Compend.  theol.  dogma.  Hal,"  1777,  p.  261,  said, 
"  Concerning  the  duration  of  punishments,  people  speak  pro  and 
contra.  According  to  our  judgment,  the  philosophical  reasons  which 
some  have  brought  forth,  are  so  far  from  demonstrating  the  eternity  of 
punishments,  that  some  of  them  are  the   most  conti-ary  to  it." 

John  Fried.  Gruner's  "  Instit.  theol.  dogma."  Hal.  1777,  p.  635.  "  If  the 
happiness  of  the  unjust  in  the  future  world  is  called  eternal,  that  eternity 
must  not  be  understood  of  an  infinite  duration,  which  has  no  end  at  all,  but 
of  an  indefinite  one.  For  the  condemned  will  be  unhappy  and  remain  so 
as  long  as  they  persist  obstinately  in  a  state  of  moral  servitude.  But 
they  will  cease  to  be  unhappy  when  they  have  been  brought  into  a  state 
of  moral  liberty  by  Christ;  but  with  this  diiference,  that  those  who  have 


278  MODEKN    HISTORY   OF  UNITERSALISM.     [Bookr.  Ch.  1. 

tending  against  erroneous  and  pernicious  opinions,  and  in 
defining  this  doctrine  according  to  Scripture  and  reason. 

True  Christians,  loving  truth,  will  the  less  get  into  un- 
stained themselves  in  this  life  with  very  horrible  crimes  and  atrocious  deeds, 
will  never  come  to  that  heisrht  of  felicity  which  is  perfect  happiness." 

Gottf.  Sam.  Steinhart's  "System  of  pure  Philosophy,  or  the  doctrine  of 
happiness  of  the  Christian."  Second  edition,  Zull.  1780,  p.  '/i03,  foil. 
*'  Concerning  the  erroneous  ideas  of  the  prospects  in  the  future  world,  I 
should  not  utter  here  a  single  word,  if  the  common  di'eadful  and  horriJole 
h^po thesis  concerning  hell  torments,  were  not  quite  contrary  to  the  design 
and  the  spirit  of  Christ's  religion;  and  if  all  pure  love  of  the  Father  of  the 
spiritual  world  in  this  way  were  not  interdicted  to  men"  p.  217,  foil.  comp. 
J.  Andr-  Cramer's  "  Contributions  to  improve  theology  and  other  impor- 
tant knowledge."  p.  4,  Hamb.  1783,  p.  240.  Ch.  L.  H-  Dedekind— "Con- 
cerning human  happiness,  in  connection  with  the  liigher  happiness  under 
the  moral  government  of  God. "  Braunschw,  1789,  p.  48,  foil.  See  Uni- 
versal Gazette  for  miuistesrs-     1790,  p.  341. 

Guttf  Less'  "  Manual  of  the  theory  of  the  Christian  religion  for  more 
enlightened  people."  Third  edition.  Gott.  1780,  p.  708,  foil-  "  It  is  certain 
that  really  endless  punishments  have  been  threatened  to  the  wicked  on  the 
part  of  God.  It  is  also  certain,  that  truth  will  not  be  violated,  even  if  these 
threatenings  should  not  be  entirely  executed.  §  61.  The  threatening  of 
eternal  punishment  may  possibly  be  conditionary.  Hell  torments  will  be 
endless,  if  the  wickedness  and  obduracy  of  the  condemned  does  not 
cease.  But  whether  this  will  ever  cease  or  not,  and  what  God's  wisdom 
will  deem  best  in  regard  to  the  actual  execution  of  these  threatenings,  no 
mortal  can  say. "  Of  the  same  opinion  were  Tillotson  (Sermon  on  the 
Eternity  of  hell  torments.  2d  vol.  11th  sermon).  Eberhard's  "Apology 
for  Socrates. "  Vol.  1.  p.  366.  Bushing — (General  remarks  concerning 
the  symbolic  writings.)  Barhdt  (Letters  on  the  system  Theologie,  to  im- 
prove relig.  toleration.     2d  vol.  4th  Coll.  p  303. 

John  Christ.  Doederlein,  Instil-  Theol.  Chr.  1782.  p.  95.  "That  this 
state  will  last  a  long  time,  we  defend  from  the  text  of  the  Scripture.  But 
that  all  who  came  into  this  misery  suffer  perpetual  punishment  for  their 
sins,  without  end,  is  neither  taught  in  these  places  nor  elsewhere,  nor  can 
we  be  pursuaded  of  it  by  the  arguments  of  philosophers,  who  either  assume 
that  sinners  are  infinitely  guilty,  or  take  their  refuge  in  the  infinite  wisdom 
of  God,  or  maintain  that  on  account  of  the  continued  desire  of  sinning  in 
the  minds  of  the  unhappy,  and  because  the  means  of  obtaining  a  better 
mind  and  a  better  condition  are  denied  them,  eternal  punishments  are  al- 
most necessary."  Comp.  his  Select  Theol.  Library.  V.  I.  N.  6.  Leij^z. 
1782,  p.  433.  foil. 

Stark's  "Frank  considerations,  &c."  2d  edition.  Berl.  1782,  foU. 
*'  Reason  has  undoubtedly  very  important  objections  to  make  against  the 
doctrine  of  eternal  punishmeut,  which  have  appeared  so  conclusive  to 
several  pious  teachers  among  tlie  Christians,  that  they  have  thought  to  de- 
fend Christian  Revelation  against  a  very  weighty  reproach  by  rejecting 
this  doctrine. " 

Job.  Rud  Gottl  Beyer  — "  Essay  on  the  punishments  of  the  condemned 
and  their  duration.  "  Leip.  1792.  This  author  thinks  that  Christ  and  his 
apostles,  l)y  using  the  expressions  aion  and  aionios,  to  denote  tlie  duration 
of  an  unhappy  state,  had  determined  nothing,  but  only  intended  to  remove 
the  idea  of  an  early  end  of  the  puuislnnent.  Ho  believes  tliat  Cliristian 
doctrine  favors  the  idea  of  degrees  in  the  duration  of  these  punishments. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   GERMANY.  279 

becoming  disputes  the  more  they  give  freedom  to  the  in- 
quiry about  this  point.  And  with  all  the  difference  of 
opinions,  or  rather  of  hopes,  which  they  cannot  give  up,  they 
will,  with  unanimity  of  mind,  wait  for  the  couiing  of  their 
Lord.  Whatever  then  they  may  have  believed  here,  and 
whatever  they  may  see  at  that  time,  all  will  undoubtedly 
join  in  the  harmonious  praise  to  be  uttered  by  the  whole 
creation.  "Lord  thou  art  just,  —  thou  who  art  and  who 
wast,  and  thou  art  holy  who  hast  judged  in  this  way." 

IMMANUEL    KANT. 

XVIILFrom  the  preceding  sections,  a  somewhat  satisfac- 
tory view  may  be  obtained  of  the  state  of  the  public  mind 
in  Germany,  in  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Endlessness 
of  Torment,  on  the  one  hand,  and  that  of  the  final  holiness 
and  happiness  of  all  men,  on  the  other.  We  see  with  what 
feebleness  and  dissatisfaction  the  former  doctrine  was  held  ; 
and  we  find,  too,  there  were  many  who  believed  and  loved 
the  latter.  The  changes  which  were  going  on  were  more 
and  more  favorable  to  the  great  hope,  that  all  men  at  last 
shall  finally  become  holy  and  happy.  The  learned  men,  the 
philosophers,  as  well  as  the  theologians,  felt  this  change. 

We  may  refer  to  Immanuel  Kant,  whom  we  can  love   as 


Matt.  12;  Luke  16.  From  1  Cor.  15:  22-28,he  takes  the  comfort  of  a 
happy  state  of  all  creatures,  and  tries  to  prove  it  fully  from  the  parallelism 
of  Saint  Paul.  "God  is  the  most  just,  without  positive  punishment,  for  he 
is  not  a  man.  Positive  hell  torments  presuppose  absolutely  human  faults, 
hate,  revenge,  in  God." 

J.  J.  Griesbach,  "Instruction  for  studying  popular  doctrines."  2d  edition. 
Jen.  1786,  p.  108  foil.  "  One  cannot  help  thinking  that  even  in  the  not 
improbable  case  (§  105)  of  correction,  the  state  of  the  corrected  in  com- 
parison with  the  state  of  those  who  become  happy  without  delay,  will 
always  be  nearly  in  the  same  relation  as,  in  the  beginning,  when  the  latter 
entered  eternal  happiness.  Whether  and  how  far  the  positive  punish- 
ments of  God  will  be  endless,  may  be  left  undecided  without  offending 
against  the  above  quoted  Scripture  passages,  or  any  other  religious 
truth  " 

Samuel  Friederick  Nathan  Morus:  Epitome  theol.Chr.  Leips.  1789,  p.  275, 
foil.  '  Truly,  (what  cannot  be  enough  repeated  to  implant  modesty  in  the 
mind)  we  do  not  know  what  that  future  misery  will  be,  and  we  must  not 
dgc-?f^dly  deny  anything  as  impossible.' 


280  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.      [Bookv.  Ch.i. 

a  good  man,  if  we  cannot  receive  every  part  of  his  pliiloso. 
phy.  His  manhood  covered  the  latter  part  of  the  18th 
century.     lie  said : 

•'  Be  it  observed,  that  from  the  oldest  times,  two  systems  have  existed ; 
relative  to  future  eternity ;  the  one  a  system  Tyhich  promises  to  all  men, 
■fflio  have  undergone  shorter  or  longer  purifications,  an  ultimate  eternal 
felicity;  the  other,  a  dual  system,  which  promises  to  some  elect  persons 
future  felicity,  but  to  all  others  eternal  damnation.  A  system  which 
should  promise  damnation  to  all  could  not  be  supported;  because  it  would 
contain  no  justificatory  ground  of  its  own  existence;  and  an  ultimate 
annihilation  of  all,  would  imply  a  mistaken  wisdom,  an  erring  intelli- 
gence, which,  dissatisfied  with  its  work,  knew  no  other  means  of  removing 
its  defects,  than  by  breaking  it  to  pieces.  Now  the  same  difliculty  lies  in 
the  way  of  a  two-fold  system,  that  has  prevented  the  system  of  universal 
damnation  from  being  maintained:  for  why  it  might  be  asked,  were  a  few 
or  single  one,  made  at  all,  if  only  to  exist  in  order  to  be  made  eternally 
miserable,  which  is  infinitely  worse,  than  non-existence."  ' 


JUNG     STILLING. 

XIX.  Jung,  John  Henry,  called  Stilling,  was  born  iu 
IHO,  iu  Nassau,  and  died  in  1817,  at  Carlsruhe.  He  was 
at  first  apprenticed  to  a  tailor  ;  but  a  humble  origin  is  not 
incompatible  with  subsequent  distinction.  He  at  first 
attempted  to  become  a  school-master ;  was  baffled,  and 
returned  to  his  tailor's  business.  Afterward  he  went  to 
Strasburg  to  study  medicine,  and  became  a  celebrated 
physician.  Of  all  that  have  ever  lived,  he  was  one  of  the 
most  successful  operators  for  the  cure  of  the  cataract ;  and 
Matthisson  said  in  1195,  "  already  has  Stilling  restored 
sight  to  more  than  two  thousand  poor  blind  people,  not 
only  gratis,  but,  in  many  cases,  with  the  addition  of  pecu- 
niary assistance."  He  loved  to  be  among  the  poor  ;  and, 
in  one  of  his  works,  "  he  relates  with  modesty  and  sim- 
plicity, the  way  in  which  his  life  was  passed  among  the 
classes  of  people  less  favored  by  exterior  gifts  of  fortune  ; 

'  This  extract  is  taken  from  a  small  work  by  Kant,  entitled.  "The 
End  of  all  Things. "  See  Trumpet  and  Universalist  Magazine,  volume  x. 
p.  11. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  281 

and  his  pious  and  pure  heart  discloses  itself  so  unaffectedly 
and  involuntarily,  and  the  style  is  at  the  same  time  so  ex- 
cellent, that  the  work  is  one  of  the  most  popular  among 
the  German  classics."  Besides  several  interesting  works 
on  moral  subjects,  he  made  himself  known  by  his  numerous 
books  on  medicine  and  political  economy.^ 

This  excellent  man  was  a  believer  in  the  final  holiness 
and  happiness  of  all  mankind,  a  doctrine  which  took  strong 
hold  of  his  affections,  and  which  he  not  only  adorned  by 
an  unspotted  life  of  benevolence,  but  supported  by  his 
learning  and  influence.  Prof.  Tholuck  in  his  letter  to  Rev. 
T.  J.  Sawyer,  of  New  York,  (Secretary  of  the  Universalist 
Historical  Society,)  written  in  August,  1835,  says,  that 
the  doctrine  of  the  universal  restitution  "  came  particularly 
into  notice  through  Jung-Stilling,  that  eminent  man,  who 
"was  a  particular  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God  for  keep- 
ing up  evangelical  truth  in  the  latter  part  of  the  former 
century,  and  at  the  same  time  a  strong  patron  to  that  doc- 
trine".^ This  is  a  valuable  testimony.  It  comes  from  one 
of  the  leaders  among  the  evangelical  party  in  Germany  — 
one  of  the  most  learned  —  the  most  beloved.  He  tells  us, 
not  only  that  Stilling  was  a  Universalist,  but  that  he  was 
ardently  and  eminently  so.  He  brought  the  doctrine  par- 
ticularly into  notice  in  his  day,  and  he  was  (as  Tholuck 
says)  a  particular  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God  for  keep- 
ing up  evangelical  truth,  we  are  enabled  to  give  an  ex- 
tract from  one  of  Stilling's  works,  on  the  knowledge  of 
Spirits.  An  edition  was  published  in  Reading,  Pa.,  in 
1815.     On  pages  54,  55,  we  read  as  follows  : 

"  What  prince  would  condemn  one  of  his  children  to  a  dungeon  for 
life,  for  some  juvenile  misdemeanor;  and  should  God,  infinite  Love,  pun- 
ish a  man,  his  own  creature,  even  if  he  had  sinned  above  a  hundred 


'  See  Encyclopedia  Americana,  Art-  "Jung." 

2  See  Expositor  and  Universalist  Review.     Volume  iii. ;  new  series, 
p.  341. 


282  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.    IBookv.  Ch.i. 

years,  with  a  punishment  which  would  last  myriads  of  years ,  and  when 
these  were  passed,  to  begin  anew  ! 

"  Can,  in  the  most  righteous  judgment,  where  Love  itself  is  judge, 
finite  sin  merit  infinite  punishment? — away  with  this  abominable  thought ! 
But  that  sinful  man,  from  one  period  of  his  existence  to  another,  is  from 
time  to  time  brought  into  more  eflectual  penetentiaries,  till,  at  last,  he  is 
conquered ;  for  his  Creator  and  Saviour  is  God-like,  consistent  with  his 
eternal  love,  and  just. 

"  I  ask  further  :  Would  the  Son  of  God  have  completed  the  work  of 
salvation,  if  he  had  saved  only  the  fourth  or  fifth  part  of  his  brethren, 
for  whom  he  had  become  man,  suffered  and  died?  No!  he  would  have 
failed;  and  this  he  could  not  do,  hence  not  a  single  soul  will  be  lost,  they 
will  ALL  —  ALL  be  saved  at  last,  the  holy  Scriptures  do  not  in  one  instance 
say  the  contrary,  and  they  cannot  say  it,  and  if  it  even  seems  so,  we  then 
must  choose  the  most  reasonable  construction.  But  they  do  not  even  seem 
to  say  it,  for  all  the  passages  wherewith  some  are  essaying  to  prove  the  in- 
finity of  hell  torments,  prove  nothing  further,  than  that  thej  shall  con- 
tinue a  long  undefined  time.  The  Hebrew  word  Olam ,  and  the  Greek 
Aionios,  which  Luther  has  translated  by  ewig  (eternal),  signify  nowhere 
an  infinite,  but  a  very  long,  an  indefinite  time. " 


TWO    OTHER   WORKS,    1766-1770. 

XX.  Two  or  three  other  works  appeared  about  this 
time  (1710),  in  which  their  authors  attempted  to  sustain  the 
theory  of  endless  pains,  a  doctrine  certainly  then  sinking 
in  the  estimation  of  thinking,  pious  and  benevolent  men. 
One  of  the  works  was  entitled,  "  Letlres  Philosophico, 
Tlieologique  sur  V Elernite  du  Peine,"  Amsterdam  and 
Leipsic,  1771.  It  was  anonymous.  Rosseau  had  rejected 
the  doctrine  of  endless  torments,  because  it  was  at  war 
with  the  perfections  of  God.  The  unknown  author  seeks 
to  answer  Rosseau^s  objections.  He  modifies  and  softens 
the  doctrine  of  endless  pains,  in  order  to  make  it  less  re- 
pulsive to  men.  He  held  that  although  many  would  be 
lost  forever,  yet  a  much  larger  number  would  be  saved 
than  men  were  accustomed  to  believe  would  reach  heaven 
at  last.  Ernesti  complained  that  this  work  turned  out  very 
difierent  from  what  he  expected,  when  he  commenced  to 


A.  D.  1770.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  283 

read  it,  and  that  the  author  used  terms  in  a  sense  unlike 
what  they  generally  bore.' 

Another  work,  designed  to  prop  up  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less torments,  was  entitled,  "  La  Bealite  et  VEterrdie  des 
Peines  de  VEnfer  demonstratee,  par  des  raisons  philosophi- 
que  contre  VIrreligion  et  la  Superstition.''  Amsterdam, 
1166.  Ernesti  speaks  of  this  too  as  an  unsatisfactory  work. 
The  author  abandons  many  of  the  former  grounds  on  which 
the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  pains  had  been  based,  and 
sought  to  place  that  doctrine  on  the  love  of  God.  The 
sight  of  hell  torments  will  be  necessary  to  keep  the  saints 
and  angels  pure,  that  are  in  heaven.  Says  Ernesti,  "  what 
a  miserable  virtue,  what  a  wretched  obedience  is  that 
which  can  be  secured  only  through  the  fear  of  punishment, 
which  no  views  of  the  love  of  God,  no  reverence  of  the 
Divine  Being,  no  excellence  of  virtue  itself,  can  produce. 
The  author  wrote  and  tried  to  explain  his  theory  to 
Ernesti's  satisfaction,  but  the  latter  would  not  retract  what 
he  had  said." 


UNIVERSALISM    AMONG    THE    RATIONALISTS. 

XXI.  '  Having  traced  Universalism  thus  far,  —  we  now 
proceed  to  speak  of  it  among  the  Rationalists.  Of  that  part 
of  them  who  were  but  infidels  under  another  name,  we  shall 
not  speak.  But  there  are  many  of  the  supposed  Rational- 
ists who  do  not  seek  to  bend  every  thing  to  reason.     They 


■•  See  Ernesti's  Neueste  Theologische  Bibliothek,  -vol  ii.  p.  184-188. 

2  See  the  Neue  Bibliothek,  vol.  vii.  pp.  237-247. 

3  Through  the  wliole  course  of  the  writiug  of  this  history,  I  have  felt 
greatly  the  want  of  a  work  mentioned  by  Thiess,  which  neither  I,  nor 
Dr.  Sawyer,  nor  any  other  of  my  brethren  have  been  able  to  obtain. 
We  cannot  determine  the  value  of  a  work  we  have  never  seen,  but  from 
the  title  we  judge  it  would  have  been  very  useful  to  us.  It  was  by 
J.  F.  Cotta,  and  was  entitled  "Historia  Suscincta  dogmatis  de  pcenarum 
ivfernalium  duratione.  Tubingen,  1774."  It  may  yet  be  our  fortune  to 
f.xll  in  with  this  book.  Any  person  possessing  it  (if  any  such  there  be)  is 
requested  to  give  us  notice  whether  we  can  obtain  it  by  purchase,  or  the 
loan  of  it  a  short  time  by  indulgence- 


284  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.    [Bookv.Ch.i. 

receive  the  Christian  religion  as  a  divine  revelation,  proved 
to  be  such,  not  solely  by  its  conformity  to  human  reason, 
but  by  the  exalted  character  of  Jesus,  and  the  wonderful 
miracles  which  he  performed.  Among  the  latter  persons,  the 
doctrine  of  the  restitution  of  all  things  is  very  generally  re- 
ceived. Prof.  Credner  bore  testimony  that  the  great  body 
of  the  better  class  of  the  Rationalists  of  Germany  agree 
in  rejecting  the  dogma  of  endless  misery,'  and  in  enter- 
taining the  belief  of  the  final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all 
men.  Some  have  been  very  forward  in  the  defence  of  this 
faith.  They  have  regarded  it  as  very  important,  a  know- 
ledge of  which  is  necessary  to  the  happiness  of  men. 

It  is  exceedingly  diflScult  to  class  the  German  divines. 
Some  incline  to  Rationalism  ;  some  are  opposed  to  it ;  and 
of  those  whom  we  would  call  Evangelical  divines,  there 
are  many  different  shades. 

Disgusted  at  the  eri'ors,  bigotry  and  arrogance  of  Catho- 
lics, Lutherans,  and  the  Reformed,  many  of  the  learned  in 
Germany  turned  from  them  in  disgust ;  some,  sickening  at 
the  name  of  religion,  became  Atheists  ;  others,  charging 
upon  Christianity  the  errors  of  men,  took  refuge  in  the 
comfortless  speculations  of  Deism  ;  but  a  third  class,  pos- 
sessing the  prudence  to  examine  the  Divine  Word  for  them- 
selves, saw  clearly  the  distinction  between  the  real  and 
the  alleged  doctrines  of  Revelation,  and  asserted  and  main- 
tained, the  purer  system  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  three  prin- 
cipal and  popular  errors,  which  they  opposed,  were  the 
doctrines  of  the  Trinity,  Atonement  in  the  Calvinistic 
sense,  and  eternal  Punishment. 

Among  these  theologians  may  be  reckoned  Gruner,  Eber- 
hard,  Steinbart,  Damm,  Fuller,  and  Semler.  Steinbart  was 
teacher  of  divinity  at  Frankfort,  on  the  Oder,  and  his  senti- 
ment was,  to  use  his  own  words,  "God  can  never  punish  any 
more  than  is  necessary  for  his  reformation.     He  cannot  mis- 

1  Universalist  Expositor;  vol.  \i.  p.  248. 


A.  D.  1770.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  285 

take  in  the  choice  of  his  means,  and  must  always  reach  his 
end.  He  would  appear  less  lovely,  if  one  creature  should  be 
forever  miserable."  i  He  published  at  Zullichan  the  "  Chris- 
tian Doctrine  of  Happiness,"  in  which,  says  the  Orthodox 
Erskine,  "  the  nnscriptural  sentiments  which  have  appear- 
ed in  the  German  books  and  journals,  as  to  the  divinity  and 
atonement  of  Christ,  are  reduced  to  a  system,  with  several 
additions  of  his  own."  * 

Gruner,  divinity-professor  at  Halle,  in  a  compend  of 
divinity,  published  in  1777,  argues  against  the  supreme 
divinity  of  Christ,  and  the  eternity  of  hell  torments.' 
But  of  all  whose  writings  we  have  seen,  Eberhard,  in  his 
Apology  for  Socrates,*  confutes  the  most  largely  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  punishment.'  Discussing  the  doctrine  of 
Atonement,  he  maintains  that : 

"  Punishment  being  an  evil,  cannot  be  employed  by  a  good  being, 
unless  for  ends  whose  goodness  is  greater  than  the  evils  suffered, 
and  which  could  not  be  obtained  without  inflicting  them.  God  pun- 
ishes not  for  the  common  good  only,  but  also  for  the  reformation  of 
the  sufferer  ;  which  being  accomplished,  punishment  has  no  further 
use.  It  was  designed  to  influence  the  love  and  practice  of  virtue  ; 
and  when  these  are  produced,  it  must  give  place  to  the  happy  con- 
sequences of  amendment.  Punishment,  therefore,  being  a  benefit 
even  to  the  sufferer,  when  properly  viewed  by  him,  must  produce 
emotions  of  love  and  gratitude."* 

This  work  was  soon  attacked  by  Mr.  H.  Van  Alphen,« 
and  by  Huet,  ^  minister  of  the  Walloon  Church  at  Utrecht. 


^  Erskine's  Sketches  of  Church  History. 

2  Ibid,  207. 

3  Erskine's  Sketches  of  Church  History,  i.  214. 

*  Nieuwe  Apologie  voor  Socrates,  Amsterdam,  8vo.  1773. 

*  Erskine's  Sketches,  i.  26,  27. 

*  Eenisrne  Leerstakken  van  dan  Protestantischen  Godsdienst  verdcdigd, 
door  Mr.  H.  Van  Aljjhen,  Utrecht,  1775,  i.  e.  Some  doctrines  of  the  Pro- 
testant Religion  defended  by  Mr.  H.  Van  Alphen. 

^  Reflexions  sur  la  Nouvelle  Apologie  pour  Socrate.  1  vol.  8vo.  Utrecht, 
1774. 

"The  Wolfian  philosophy,  says  Muenscher,  was  at  first  employed  to  evince 
the  eternity  of  hell  torments;  but  it  led  to  a  confutation  of  this  doctrine, 
by  advancins  the  prmciples  that  the  justice  of  God,  is  merely  his  good- 
ness directed  by  wisdom;  and  that  the  grand  object  of  divine  punishments. 


286  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALTSM.      Book  v.  Ch.  t. 

It  is  only  the  arguments  of  the  latter  we  have  been  able  to 
examine ;  and  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  they  are  similar 
to  those  which  controversialists  now  use  to  disprove  the 
doctrine  of  Universalism.  The  case  of  Judas  is  brought 
forward  to  show,  if  this  doctrine  be  true,  it  were  good  for 
him  to  have  been  born,  which  the  Saviour  seemed  to  deny  ; 
and  it  is  maintained  that  the  doctrine  of  endless  punish- 
ment, is  a  more  powerful  barrier  against  ci'ime,  and  more 
favorable  to  repentance.' 

So  much  for  the  History  of  Universalism  in  Germany, 
and  much  more  might  be  said.  The  seed  thus  sown  has 
taken  root,  nor  can  the  precious  plant  ever  be  destroyed. 
Its  branches  may  be  lopped  oif ;  it  may  bend  beneath  the 
storm ;  it  may  be  scared  by  the  bolts  of  human  wrath  ;  but 
the  root,  secured  as  with  a  band  of  iron  and  brass,  in  a 
genial  soil,  w£t  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  will  live  and  send 
forth  branches  anew,  to  bear  the  fruit  of  the  spirit,  love, 
joy  and  peace.' 

is  the  reformation  of  offenders.  And  hence,  J.  H.  Eberhard,  B.  Bassedow 
and  J.  F.  Gruner,  held  forth  the  reformation  and  salvation  of  the  damned; 
others  have  either  left  the  question  wholly  undeciled,  or  have  referred  the 
eternity  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  only  to  the  place  of  punishment;  or 
have  stopped  at  tiie  never  ending  disadvantages,  which  the  neglect  of  re- 
pentance in  the  present  life,  will  bring  along  with  it  in  the  life  to  come." 
See  Muenscher's  Elements  of  Dogmatic  History.  Translated  by  Murdock, 
New  Haven,  1830,  p.  202. 

1  Histoire  des  Sectes  Religieuses,  par  M.  Gregoire.     T.  i.  74 — 78. 

'•^  Since  this  paragraph  at  fii-st  was  written,  a  very  happy  confirmation 
of  the  opinion  here  expressed,  and  a  highly  satisfactory  testimony  to  the 
great  unanmity  with  which  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment  is  re- 
jected by  all  classes  of  Protestants  in  Germany,  appeai-ed  in  "  D wight's 
Travels  in  the  North  of  Germany,"  published  in  New  York,  1829. 
The  unexceptionable  nature  of  this  authority,  will  give  the  lollowing 
paragraph  strong  claims  to  the  attention  of  an  enlightened  Christian  com- 
munity. 

"  The  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of  future  punishment  is  almost  univer- 
eally  rejected.  I  have  seen  but  one  person  in  Germany  who  believed  it» 
and  but  one  other  whose  mind  was  wavering  on  this  subject.  Many  of 
them  acknowledge  that  the  New  Testament  seems  to  inculcate  this  doc- 
trine; but  they  find  it,  as  they  say,  so  irreconcilable  with  our  ideas  of  the 
infinitely  benevolent  Being,  whom  God  has  revealed  himself  to  be,  that  if 
they  believeil  in  his  perfections,  they  must  reject  the  doctrine.  Some  con- 
tend that  it  is  not  even  apparently  announced.  To  those  texts  wliich  are 
generally  believed  with  us  to  involve  it,  they  give  a  different  explmation  in 
their  interpretation;  finding,  as  they  believe,  philological  ditficulties  in 


A.  D.  1770.  UNIVERSALTSM   IN   GERMANY.  287 

OLSHAUSEN,   THOLTTCK. 

XXII.  Speaking  of  the  Universal  Restitution,  Olshausen 
says,  "  The  feeling  against  the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of 
the  punishment  of  the  wicked,  which  shows  itself  among 
the  defenders  of  a  restoration  of  all  things,  and  they  have 
been  found  at  all  times,  and  are  at  the  present  time,  more 
than  at  any  former  period,  though  it  may  often  have  its 
foundation  in  a  vitiated  social  state,  yet  has  no  doubt  a 
deep  root  in  noble  minds,  and  is  the  expression  of  a  heart- 
felt desire  for  a  perfect  harmony  of  the  creation.^ 

Beautiful  concession.  Tholuck,  at  one  time,  seemed  to 
have  nearly  the  same  idea.  The  first  the  American  public 
heard  of  Tholuck,  was  by  the  agency  of  Professor  Sears, 
then  of  the  Theological  Institution  in  Newton,  Mass.  ;  and 
the  annunciation  of  the  fact  that  the  German  professor  was 
a  believer  in  the  great  doctrine  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things,  surprised  few  persons,  after  what  we  had  heard  of 
Doederlein,  Olshausen  and  others,  and  especially  the  state- 

the  way.  Some  few  would  meet  the  arguments  of  those  who  believe  it, 
by  as.-ertino;  that  the  oldest  manuscript  of  the  New  Testament,  is  of  the 
sixth  century;  and  that,  during  the  Arian  and  other  controversies  which 
agitated  the  church  from  the  age  of  the  Apostles  until  that  time,  there  is 
not  only  a  possibility,  but  a  probability,  that  some  errors  have  made  their 
way  into  the  text.  Otliers  affirm,  as  one  of  the  Orthodox  professors  who  is 
considered  to  be  eminent  for  liis  piety,  told  me,  respecting  himself,  that  this 
doctrine  evidently  appears  in  the  New  Testament,  but  that  his  heart  could 
not  receive  it,  unless  he  were  to  change  his  views  of  the  character  of  God. 
That  we  now  enjoy  but  a  single  ray  of  Revelation  in  comparison  with  the 
light  which  will  burst  upon  our  view  in  the  future  world;  and  that  when 
we  come  to  behold  the  glory  of  God,  as  it  will  be  revealed  to  us,  he  be- 
lieved that  this  apparent  difficulty  in  his  moral  government  would  be  ex- 
plained." p.  421. 

The  Boston  Recorder  (of  January  5, 1831) ,  stated,  that  Doederlein,  be- 
lieves in  a  final  restoration,  after  ages  and  ages  of  suifering. 

Tlie  truth  is  this,  said  the  same  writer  in  the  "  Recorder,"  "Universalists 
in  Germany  have  not  organized  themselves,  to  any  considerable  extent, 
into  a  distinct  class,  as  they  have  done  in  this  country.  Some  who  are 
Orthodox  in  their  views  of  the  doctrines  of  grace,  believe  in  the  doctrine 
of  final  restoration,  and  are  in  fict  Universalists  of  the  Chauncey  stamp. 
In  this  class  we  doubt  not  there  are  some  men  of  most  respectable  attain- 
ments and  exemplary  piety ;  the  name  of  Doederlein  alone  is  sufficient 
warrant  for  saying  this."  The  Recorder  has  been  for  a  long  series  of 
years  one  of  the  leading  Calvinistic  journals  in  New  England. 

'  Commentary  on  Matt.  xii.  31,  32,  translated  by  Kenrick,  from  the 
fourth  German  edition.  New  York,  Sheldon,  Blakeman  &  Co..  A.  D., 
1856,  vol.  i.  pp.  459,  4(30. 


288  MODERN  HISTORY  OP  TTNIVERSALISM.  [Book  v.  Ch.  l. 

ment  of  our  American  Evangelical  divine,  Mr.  Dwight, 
already  given. 

Profeesor  Sears,  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  New  England, 
speaks  very  decisively,  on  the  point  that  Tholuck  was  un- 
derstood to  believe  in  the  restitution  of  all  things. 
"  Though  as  a  theologian,  Dr.  Tholuck  is  on  the  side  of 
Orthodoxy,  it  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  the  Ortho- 
doxy of  Germany.  I  feel  the  more  called  on  to  state 
frankly  what  I  know  to  be  the  truth,  from  the  fact  that  the 
works  of  several  German  critics,  of  whom  he  is  the  safest, 
have  now  become  so  popular  in  England  and  America  as  to 
demand  a  translation.  This  distinguished  and  excellent 
man,  in  common  with  the  great  majority  of  the  evangelical 
divines  in  Germany,  though  he  professes  to  have  serious 
doubts,  and  is  cautious  in  avowing  the  sentiment,  believes 
that  all  men  and  fallen  spirits  will  finally  be  saved.  The 
current  hypothesis  (meaning  in  Germany)  is  that  in  the 
middle  state,  intervening  between  death  and  the  resurrec- 
tion, the  righteous  will  gradually  attain  to  perfection  ;  and 
that  to  all  the  wicked,  whether  men  or  angels,  the  gospel 
will  be  preached,  and  that  they  will  ultimately  accept  it 
and  be  restored.^" 

Professor  Sears  afterwards  gave  the  subject  of  a  conver- 
sation which  he  had  with  Tholuck  as  follows  : 

"  One  evening,  at  his  house,  there  was  a  debate  between  us  on 
the  subject,  in  the  presence  of  two  American  gentlemen,  now  in 
this  country.  It  made  such  a  painful  impression  on  the  mind  of  the 
writer,  that  he  can  remember  not  only  the  ideas,  but  many  of  the 
identical  words  and  phrases  employed  at  that  time.  The  following 
is  the  substance  of  that  conversation,  v,hich  was  held  in  English  :  — 
Tholuck:  I  suppose  that  my  American  brethren  would  consider  me 
orthodox  in  general,  except  in  my  Universalism.  —  Scars:  They 
would,  most  certainly.     But  with  them  that  one  point  would  be  a 

■■  This  announcement  was  made  by  Professor  Sears,  A.  D.  1834.  Wa 
refer  tliose  who  wish  to  look  more  fully  into  this  subject,  to  an  article 
entitled,  "  Professor  Tholuck  and  Universalism,"  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  T. 
.)•  Sawyer,  in  the  Expositor  and  Universalist  Review,  vol.  iii.  New  series, 
edited  by  Rev.  Ilosea  Ballou  2d.,  Boston.  Published  by  G.  W.  Bazin  & 
A.  Tompkins,  1839. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  289 

serious  matter.  With  this  sentiment  you  could  not  hold  a  standing 
in  our  Orthodox  churches.  Now,  where  did  you  find  this  doctrine, 
— in  the  Bible,  or  in  your  philosophy  ? — Tlioluck  :  In  both. — Sears  : 
What  are  the  passages  of  Scripture  on  which  you  principally  rely? 
—  ThoJuck :  My  main  passage  is  1  Cor.  x v.  28.  Christ  shall  over- 
come all,  and  bring  them  in  complete  subjection  to  God,  who  to  all 
men  will  be  their  all,  their  everything.  Such  language  cannot  well 
be  applied  to  those  who  shall  still  remain  his  enemies.  Also  Kom. 
xi.  36.  For  out  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  into  him,  aie  all 
things  ;  i.  e.  all  things  proceed  out  of  him  as  their  source  of  being ; 
by  him  they  are  conducted  to  their  proper  destination  ;  and  into  him 
they  all  return,  as  their  eternal  resting  place.  It  follows,  of  course, 
that  they  will  all  be  happy  ;  for  happiness  consists  in  being  in  God. 
Another  passage  is,  '  Every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every  tongue  con- 
fess,' &c.  (Philip,  ii.  9-11.) — Sears:  Do  you  find  no  passages  of 
Scripture  which  positively  declare  the  everlasting  punishment  of  the 
wicked  ?  Tlioluck  :  Yes.  Matt.  xxv.  46,  and  others  like  it. — Sears  : 
Can  those  passages,  which  you  think  favor  Universalism,  be  under- 
stood in  any  other  sense  without  violating  the  fundamental  laws  of 
interpretation  ? — Tholuck :  Yes,  they  can,  but  the  construction  would 
not  be  so  easy  and  natural. — Sears  :  Can  the  other  passages,  which 
speak  of  endless  punishment,  possibly  bear  any  other  construction  ? 
Tholuck :  I  do  not  see  how  they  can. — Sea7-s :  Well,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  them  ? — Tholuck:  This  is  my  only  difficulty.  These 
two  classes  of  texts  seem  to  me  contradictory  ;  I  cannot  reconcile 
them.  But  when  I  reflect  upon  the  character  of  God,  as  a  Being  of 
love,  I  lose  all  my  doubts.  Those  passages  are  dark,  but  here  all  is 
light.  Man  has  not  utterly  lost  God's  image  ;  there  is  something 
holy  in  him  still, — the  flaming  eye  of  God,  the  conscience  ;  and, 
wherever  there  is  this  foretold,  God  will  gain  the  heart  at  last.^ 

It  is  with  an  unfavorable  opinion  of  leading  theologians, 
we  are  obliged  to  confess,  that  probably,  by  the  influence 
of  the  American  Orthodox  divines,  Tholuck  was  induced  to 
disavow  his  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things.  A  very  serious  and  earnest  correspondence,  it  is 
thought,  was  begun  with  hira,  and  this  added,  to  the  dis 
cussions  which  took  place  in  the  Orthodox  journals  of 
America,  led  him  to  take  a  different  position  from  that 
which  he  had  occupied,  and  to  give  up  his  hope  in  the 
final  happiness  of  all  men,  or  at  least,  to  profess  to  do  so. 

"  Let  me  tell  you  now,  dear  sir,  concerning  the  point  in  question, 
that  I  must  confess  that  a  good  number  of  our  German  evangelical 
theologians  cherish  the  hope  of  a  final  conversion  of  all  men  ; 
though  there  will  be,  I  dare  say,  but  few  who  allow  themselves  more 

'  Expositor  and  Universalist  Review,  vol.  3,  pp.  332,  333. 


290  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  Ch.  i. 

than  a  hope,  and  who  would  venture  positively  to  say,  that  such  a 
final  restoration  will  take  place.  As  to  myself,  I  have  long  been 
strong  in  this  respect.  At  the  time  when  Professor  Sears  was  in 
Havre,  I  also  expressed  this  hope,  though  I  confessed  at  the  time, 
that  I  did  not  know  how  to  reconcile  it  with  the  clear  passages  in 
Scripture,  which  made  me  reluctant  even  at  that  time,  to  embrace 
that  opinion  as  an  unquestionable  truth.  If  I  remember  right,  my 
expressions  at  the  time  were  these  ; — dogmatically,  (i.  e.  as  a  theo- 
logian,) 1  feel  myself  drawn  towards  this  opinion  ;  but  exegetically, 
(i.  e.  as  an  iaterpreter,)  I  do  not  know  how  to  justify  it.  Mature 
reflection,  however,  on  the  doctrine  of  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost  has  made  me  since  abandon  the  idea  of  the  final  restoration 
of  all  men  ;  for  what  Christ  says  concerning  it,  seems  too  clearly  to 
imply  a  degree  of  opposition  against  holy  truth,  which  leads  to 
eternal  unhappiness." '. 


OTHEB    EMINENT    THEOLOGIANS. 
DOEDERLEIN,    GIESELER,   MEANDER. 

XXin.  Doederlein,  evangelical  Christian  as  he  was,  says 
many  things  in  favor  of  the  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  of 
all  men.  He  took  a  large  and  liberal  view  of  things.  He 
surprised  the  learned  world  with  the  declaration,  that  the 
more  dislivguished  by  learning  any  one  in  Christian  antiquity 
was,  so' much  the  more  did  he  foster  and  defend  the  hope  of  a 
final  termination  of  torments.  ^ 

Gieseler  thinks  that  the  doctrine  of  the  final  termination 
of  evil,  prevailed  generally  in  the  Christian  church  in  an- 
cient times,  even  outside  of  the  labors  of  Origen,  and  in 
places  where  Origen  had  not  great  influence.  The  Ger- 
mans seem  always  happy  to  bring  out  facts  fairly,  even 
though  their  admissions  are  unfavorable  to  popular  dog. 
mas. 

Opposition  to  Origen  was  not  always,  or  even  generally, 

1  This  statement  of  his  new  views  was  first  published  in  the  Boston 
Recorder,  in  1838.  It  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  from  Professor  Tholuck  to 
Rev.  Edward  Meyer,  dated  Dec.  22,  1837,  and  was  communicated  to  the 
Recorder  by  Rev.  Dr.  Sears. 

2  Quanto  quis  altius  eruditione  in  antiquitate  Christiana  eminuit,  tanto 
magis  spem  tiniendurum  olim  cruciatuam  aluit  atque  defendit."  J. 
Christoph  Doederlein  Institutio  Theolog.  Christian!.  Noremberg  et 
Altorfii,  1787,  p.  199,   Vol.  ii. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVEESALISM  IN  GERMANY.  291 

based  on  or  even  connected  with  his  doctrine  of  Universal 
Salvation.  Gieseler  says  :  "  The  belief  in  the  inalienable 
capacity  of  improvement  in  all  rational  beings,  and  the 
limited  duration  of  future  punishment  was  so  general,  even 
in  the  West,  and  among  the  opponents  of  Origen,  that, 
even  if  it  may  not  be  said  to  have  arisen  without  the  in- 
fluence of  Origen's  school,  it  had  become  entirely  indepen- 
dent of  his  system."  ' 

Tholuck  did  not  stand  up  with  so  much  firmness  against 
the  doctrine  of  endless  torture,  as  the  authors  we  have 
just  named.  His  American  evangelical  friends  had  too 
much  influence  over  him.  There  is  no  place  in  the  world 
where  the  doctrine  of  perpetual  sufferings  is  held  with 
more  tenacity  than  among  the  so  called  evangelical  sects 
of  the  United  States.  They  feel  that  they  need  the  doc- 
trine as  an  agent  to  move  the  popular  will,  and  to  aid  them 
in  their  schemes  of  proselytism.  But  it  is  our  duty  here 
to  treat  of  the  theologians  of  Germany.  Dr.  De  Wette,  in 
his  Theodore,  teaches  the  doctrine  of  the  final  happiness 
of  all  souls.  "  What  we  call  good  or  evil,  (says  he),  we  call 
so  only  comparatively,  not  indicating  an  absolute  distinc- 
tion. However  imperfect  and  evil  a  man's  state  may  be,  it 
is  yet  only  a  state  of  transition,  which  must  lead  to  good. 
God  will  guide  all  to  good,  if  not  in  this  world,  in  the 
other." 

But,  replied  Walter,  "  he  who  disbelieves  shall  be  damned 
everlastingly.  Do  you  deny  everlasting  punishment?" 
Schiller  might  sing,  "the  dead  shall  rise  to  life  and  hell 
shall  cease  forever,"  but  he  sung  of  the  gods  of  Greece. 

Yet  the  sentiment  was  a  truly  Christian  one,  says  De 
Wette.  The  punishment  of  the  unbelieving  is  everlasting; 
that  is,  unlimited.  Unbelief  plunges  us  into  a  gulf, 
which  is  of  immeasurable  depth  to  the  human  eye,  but  not 

'  "  A  Compendium  of  Ecclesiastical  History,  by  Dr.  John  C.  L.  Gieseler. 
Translated  from  the  German  by  Samuel  Davidson,  LL.  D.  New  York, 
Harper  &  Brothers."  1849,  pp.  320,  321. 


292  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.        [Bookv.  Ch.i. 

to  that  of  God,  who  will  allow  nothing  in  this  world  to  be 
lost.  To  the  obstinate  and  careless,  this  gulf  is  shown  in 
order  that  he  may  shrink  back  from  it.  But  far  be  it  from 
us  to  judge  presumptuously  those  thus  blinded,  and  to 
declare  them  to  be  shut  out  for  ever  from  God.' 


J  "  Specimens  of  Foreign  Standard  Literature,  edited  by  George  Ripley, 
vol.  xi,  containing  Theodore,  or  the  Sceptic's  Conversion,  from  the  Ger- 
man of  De  Wette-  Boston:  Milliard,  Gray  &  Co.,  1841."  The  translator 
goes  on  to  say,  concerning  the  doctrine  of  the  Ultimate  Restoration: 

"  From  various  accounts  which  have  been  published  in  our  American 
journals,  it  is  understood  that  many  of  the  most  conspicuous  among  the 
orthodox  teachers  in  Germany  incline  to  the  doctrine  of  an  ultimate  res- 
toration. This  view  is  chiefly  held  by  those  who  talie  the  strongest  Cal- 
vini&tic  views  of  the  divine  decrees.  Among  these  theologians,  (whom  St. 
Augjstine  would  call  "  Merciful  Doctors,")  are  Tholuck,  Hahn,  Olshau- 
sen,  and  Schleiermacher.  The  latter  theologian,  in  defending  the  Calvin- 
istic  doctrine  against  the  objection  drawn  from  the  mercy  of  God,  thus 
speaks  {Theol.  Ze-itscrift,  Estes  Heft): 

"  This  objection  goes  rather  against  the  fact  of  damnation,  than  the 
mode  of  its  causality,  as  ascribed  to  God  or  man.  As  soon  as  this  objec- 
tion is  urged,  those  who  deny,  no  less  than  those  who  admit,  the  doctrine 
of  decrees  must  choose  between  two  resources.  They  must  either  admit  the 
infinite  and  eternal  nature  of  the  punishments  of  hell,  and  with  this  assert 
the  incomprehensibility  of  the  divine  plans,  or  they  must  escape  from  all 
the  apparent  conflict  between  the  divine  justice  and  love,  by  admitting  an 
ultimate  restoration  and  final  universal  reconciliation  of  all  lost  souls. 
According  to  this  latter  view,  the  difierence  between  the  dying  believer 
and  unbeliever  is  of  a  sooner  or  later  admission  into  the  kingdom  of 
Christ;  and  such  a  difierence  is  necessarily  involved  in  every  conceivable 
idea  of  a  temporal  world.  As  far  as  concerns  myself,  I  should  prefer  the  lat- 
ter view,  not  only  because  I  should  be  more  easily  reconciled  to  the  death 
ot  unbelievers,  but  also  for  the  sake  of  those  who  have  become  the  subjects 
of  grace  here,  and  all  the  redeemed,  whose  joy  must  be  clouded  by  the 
thought  of  any  one  being  forever  excluded  from  salvation.  For  could 
they  "be  partakers  of  Christian  blessedness  if  they  should  lose  their  sym- 
pathy for  all  who  belong  to  their  race?  This  view  appears  to  me  also  to 
be  as  well  supported  by  the  Scriptures  as  the  other,  (Avhich  I  cannot  stop 
to  prove  here  in  detail,)  and  to  be,  besides,  the  only  one  which  can  be 
brought  to  any  degree  of  clearness.  The  more  closely  that  we  investigate 
the  opposite  view,  the  more  do  difficulties  accumulate.  The  understand- 
ing cannot  find  rest  but  in  this  opinion,  when  we  regard  men's  original 
difl'erences  with  their  dependence  on  divine  grace,  when  we  compare  the 
infinite  power  of  redemption  with  the  resistance  which  man  is  able  to 
oppose  to  it,  and,  finally,  when  we  consider  the  misery  of  unbelievers, 
and  recollect  that  the  word  of  grace  still  remains  fastened  in  their 
memory." 

With  this  view De  Wette also  agrees,  {Theolog.  Zeitscrift,  Zweites  Heft, 
S.  120,)  remarking  that  the  "doctrine  of  eternal  damnation  cannot  in 
any  wise  be  retained,  if  we  take  the  word  eternal  in  a  strict  and  absolute 
sense.  For  whatever  is  eternally  damned,  must  have  been  created  in  a 
state  of  damnation,  for  eternity  has  no  beginning." 

Hahn,  {Christlirhen  Glavbens,  §  143,)  in  contending  for  the  salvation 
of  the  heathen,  uses  the  following  arguments:  1.  The  justice  and  good- 
ness of  God,  who  would  only  condemn   those  who  have  bad  suflicient 


A.  P.  1800.]  ITNIVERSALISM   IN   GERMANY.  293 

Neander,  speaks  cautiously  and  yet  with  much  hope  of 
the  final  restitution  of  all  things.  In  his  work  on  the 
"  Planting  and  Training  of  the  Church,"  he  quotes  Paul's 
language : 

["  That  at  the  name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in 
heaven,  and  things  in  earth  :  and  things  under  the  earth  :  and  that 
every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory 
of  God  the  Father."]  This  he  thinks  may  indeed  be  supposed  to 
mean,  that  all  rational  beings  are  to  be  subjected  to  the  Kedeemer 
as  their  Lord,  although  this  ^Yill  not  be  accomplished  with  respect  to 
all  in  the  same  manner  ;  in  some  there  may  be  a  subjectively  internal 
free  obedience,  in  others  only  what  is  outward  and  compulsory,  the 
obedience  of  impotence,  which  can  eflfect  nothing  against  the  king- 
dom of  Christ.  The  question  arises,  whether  in  the  word  '  bow  the 
knee  in  the  name  of  Christ,  and  confess  that  he  is  Lord  to  the  glory 
of  God,'  something  more  is  meant  than  a  description  of  such  forced 
outward  obedience,  if  we  understand  these  words  according  to  the 
Pauline  phraseology.  The  doctrine  of  such  a  universal  restitution, 
would  not  stand  in  contradiction  to  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punish- 
ment, as  it  appears  in  the  Gospels  ;  for  although  those  who  are  har- 
dened in  wickedness,  left  to  the  consequences  of  their  conduct,  their 
merited  fate,  have  to  expect  endless  unhappiness,  yet  a  secret  decree 
of  the  divine  compassion  is  not  necessarily  excluded,  by  virtue  of 
•which,  through  the  wisdom  of  God  revealing  itself  in  the  discipline 
of  free  agents,  they  will  be  led  to  a  free  appropriation  of  redemption. 


means  to  know  the  truth  here,  &c.  2.  The  declaration  of  Jesus,  that 
there  is  only  one  kind  of  sin  which  cannot  be  forgiven  either  in  this  or 
in  the  future  world  —  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost;  his  intimation  that 
the  sinner  may  possibly,  though  with  difficulty,  pay  the  entire  debt,  Matt. 
5:26;  and  his  sayings  concerning  the  men  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
Matt.  10,  15.  3.  With  this  coincide  the  words  of  Christ  to  the  crucified 
malefactor,  and  what  Peter  says  of  the  exercise  by  Christ  of  his  power  to 
redeam  spirits  after  his  death,  1  Peter  iii:  18.  "Thus  can  and  will  that 
be  fulfilled  which  is  written,  Philip,  ii:  10,  &c.,  that  at  the  name  of  Jesus 
every  knee  shall  bow,  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  the 
kingdom  of  God  be  at  last  made  perfect. " 

We  do  nut  intend  to  argue  here  either  for  or  against  the  doctrine  of  a 
final  restoration,  but  only  mention  as  a  remarkable  fiict  that  so  many 
eminent  men  among  the  German  Supernaturalists  should  have  come  to 
this  conviction.  We  are  sorry  to  say  that  an  American  theologian,  in 
translating  the  essay  of  Schlciermacher  from  which  the  above  extract  is 
taken,  thought  fit  to  omit  this  passage.  It  should  seem  that,  while  he 
was  willing  1o  have  his  readers  see  that  the  authority  of  Schlciermacher 
was  on  the  side  of  the  doctrine  of  election,  he  was  not  willing  that  they 
should  understand  that  he  believed  it  in  connection  with  the  doctrine  of  a 
final  and  universal  restoration.  He  informed  them  that  Schleiermacher 
believed  that  the  salvation  of  men  is  determined  by  the  decree  of  God;  he 
did  }20t  inform  them  that  he  also  believed  that  God  had  decreed  the  final 
salvation  of  all.    See  Specimens  of  foreign  Literature,  before  referred  to. 


204  MODERN  HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALTSM.       [Bookr.Ch.i. 

The  passage  in  Coloss.  i.  20,  [''And,  having  made  peace  through  the 
blood  of  his  cross,  by  him  to  reconcile  all  things  unto  himself;  by 
him,  I  say,  whether  they  be  things  in  earth,  or  things  in  heaven,'] 
■we  shall  interpret  in  the  simplest  and  most  natural  manner,  if  we 
can  admit  such  a  reference  to  the  reconciling  and  redeeming  work  of 
Christ  on  the  fallen  spiritual  world.  And  we  can  then  combine  in  one 
view  the  three  passages,  (1  Cor.  xv.  27,  28  ;  Phil.  ii.  10,  11 ;  Coll. 
i.  20,)  and  interpret  them  by  a  mutual  comparison.  A  magnificent 
prosj)ect  is  thus  presented  of  the  final  triumph  of  the  work  of  re- 
demption, which  was  first  opened  in  the  mind  cf  the  great  aposile  in 
the  list  stage  of  his  Christian  development,  by  means  of  that  love 
which  impelled  him  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the  salvation  of  man- 
kind. At  all  events,  we  find  here  only  some  slight  intimations,  and 
■we  acknowledge  the  guidance  of  divine  wisdom,  that  in  the  records 
of  revelation  destined  for  such  various  steps  of  religions  develop- 
ment, no  more  light  has  been  communicated  on  this  subject." ' 

But  it  is  too  much  to  expect  us  to  name  every  theologian 
in  Germany,  who  has  entertained  the  great  hope  of  the 
final  holiness  and  happiness  of  all  men.  We  see  the  opin- 
ion of  Dwight,  [a  leading  American  evangelical  divine, 
travelling  in  Germany,  whose  relations  and  wishes  would 
have  withheld  him,  if  possible,  from  making  the  avowal,] 
announced  in  1829,  that  "  the  doctrine  of  the  eternity  of 
future  punishment  is  almost  universally  rejected.  I  have 
seen  but  one  person  in  Germany  who  believed  it,  and  but 
one  other  whose  mind  was  wavering  on  this  subject.  Many 
of  them  acknowledge  that  the  New  Testament  seems  to 
inculcate  this  doctrine ;  but  they  find  it,  as  they  say,  so 
irreconcilable  with  our  ideas  of  the  infinitely  benevolent 
Being,  whom  God  has  revealed  himself  to  be,  that  if  they 
believed  in  his  perfections,  they  must  reject  the  doctrine."* 

^  "  History  of  the  Planting  and  Training  of  the  Christian  church,  by 
the  Apostles;  by  Dr.  Augustus  Neander,  ordinary  professor  of  theology 
in  the  University  of  Berlin,  Consistorial  Counsellor,  &c-^  translated  by 
Ryland.      Ediuburg:  Thos.  Clark."    Vol.  ii.  pp.  211,  212. 

-  Mr.  Dwight  then  goes  on  to  speak  of  the  moral  influence  of  this  doc- 
trine upon  those  who  believed  it,  and  shows  that  they  were  imbued  with  a 
spirit  of  Christian  love,  and  filled  with  heavenly  aspiration.  He  employs 
the  following  language  : 

"  So  far  as  an  opinion  can  be  formed  of  them  from  their  reputation,  and 
from  their  conversation,  we  must  look  in  vain  for  brighter  examples  of 
piety  than  they  exhibit-  They  certainly  manifest  a  greater  spirit  of  love 
for  those  who  difi'er  trom  them  than  is  found  in  most  of  our  sects,  and  they 
feel  very  unwilling  to  shut  the  gates  of  heaven  against  those  who  do  not 
believe  every  article  of  their  creed.  In  this  charity  and  love,  the  Chris- 
tians of  most  Protestant  countries  would  do  well  to  imitate  them,"  p  423. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  GERMANY.  295 

This  was  strengthened  by  Tholuck's  first  concessions.  We 
find  that,  saying  nothing  of  the  Rationalists,  many  of  the 
most  eminent  evangelical  theologians  of  Germany,  such  as 
De  Wette,  Hahn,  Schleiermacher,  Bokshammer,  Doederlein, 
Olshausen,  Geiseler,  JNeander,  and  many  others,  have  in- 
clined to  Universalism.  The  state  of  religious  doctrines 
in  Germany  is  very  different  from  what  it  is  in  the  United 
States.  The  preaching  of  our  American  evangelical  divines 
would  scarcely  be  tolerated  in  that  country,  even  if  our 
language  would  permit  them  to  address  the  German  con- 
gregations. The  evangelical  Christians  in  the  two  coun- 
tries are  wide  apart.  Their  habits  of  thinking  and  of  the 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  are  very  different.  In 
theology,  the  German  scholars  stand  pre-eminent.  Their 
Bystem  of  education  is  very  thorough.  Germany  gives  ua 
the  proof,  that  the  more  men  know  about  the  Bible,  the 
less  will  they  believe  of  the  cruel  doctrines  of  the  church. 
The  influence  of  the  German  theologians  is  extending,  and 
it  is  impossible  to  shut  out  the  belief  from  our  minds,  that 
their  religious  opinions  will  swell  wider  and  wider,  until, 
not  only  in  Europe,  but  in  America,  they  will  give  form  and 
life  to  the  doctrines  of  the  church. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER  n. 
UNIVEESALISM  IN  HOLLAND. 

THE   ANABAPTISTS. 

I.  As  was  hinted  in  a  former  chapter,  the  doctrine  of  the 
Restitution  was  early  embraced  and  defended  by  the  Ana- 
baptists of  the  Low  Countries.  How  far  their  influence 
extended,  or  how  ardently  in  later  times,  they  have  pro- 
fessed their  faith  in  this  doctrine,  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing.  Their  descendants  in  America  promulgated  it ; 
which  may  be  regarded,  at  least,  as  presumptive  evidence, 
that  until  they  emigrated  to  this  country,  it  was  one  of  the 
principal  tenets  of  the  sect  to  which  they  belonged. 

EPISCOPIUS    AND    LE    CLERC. 

II.  But  in  pursuing  the  History  of  Universalism,  we 
turn  from  this  class  of  Christians,  renowned  for  their  apos- 
tolical simplicity,  to  survey  the  characters  and  sentiments 
of  men  of  learning  and  pre-eminence. 

Simon  Episcopius  may  justly  be  placed  in  the  class  of 
those  authors,  who  find  themselves  in  great  doubt  and  un- 
certainty concerning  the  eternity  of  punishment ;  but  who, 
instead  of  striking  out  into  the  broad  path  of  Universalism, 
have  contented  themselves  with  some  melioration  of  the 
condition    of   the    wicked,   which    might   not    in    reality 

297 


298  MODERN  HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.      [Book  v.  Ch  ii. 

amount  to  their  perfect  salvation.  After  a  long  and  criti- 
cal investigation  of  the  subject,  Episcopius  arrived  at  the 
conclusion,  that  punishment  will  be  eternal  in  no  positive 
sense.  Actual  punishment,  being  proportioned  to  the 
finite  offences  of  the  creature,  cannot  be  eternal ;  but  the 
loss  of  the  heavenly  felicity,  and  an  entire  hopelessness  of 
obtaining  it  will  be  eternal,  and  will  be  a  just  infliction  for 
slighting  the  grace  of  God  On  the  death  of  Maurice,  in 
1584,  who  was  the  great  enemy  of  the  Arminians,  they 
experienced  justice  and  clemency. 

On  their  return  to  their  native  country,  they  erected 
churches  in  the  principal  places  ;  but  the  chief  object  of 
their  concern  was  the  institution  of  a  public  seminary  of 
learning  for  the  instruction  of  their  youth,  and  the  pro- 
pagation of  their  theological  principles.  Hence  they 
founded  a  college  at  Amsterdam,  and  Episcopius  enjoj'ed 
the  honor  of  being  their  first  professor  of  theology.  He 
survived  this  appointment  only  about  ten  years,  and  died 
4th  April,  1643.1  The  grief  of  his  friends  at  his  death  was 
indescribable.  He  was  a  man  of  great  learning  and  com- 
manding powers  of  eloquence  ;  and  he  enjoyed  the  esteem 
of  many  learned  men,  among  whom,  to  his  high  honor, 
Grotius  may  be  reckoned. 

The  sentiment  of  Episcopius  concerning  punishment, 
differed  from  that  of  the  Arminians  generally  in  the  fol- 
lowing respect  :  they,  in  renouncing  Calvinism,  did  not 
mitigate  the  condition  of  the  sinner  after  he  was  con- 
demned ;  but  simply  relieved  him  from  that  decree,  where- 
by, without  any  foresight  of  his  evil  deeds,  he  was  or- 
dained absolutely  to  eternal  destruction  ;  but  Episcopius  with 
benevolence  not  only  relieved  the  sinner  from  the  cruel  effect 
of  the  decree  of  reprobation,  but  denied  the  eternity  of  his 
positive  punishment,  and  made  it  eternal  in  no  sense,  ex- 
cept as  it  was  a  loss  of  everlasting  life.     What  condition 

'  Mosheim's  Eccle.  History  Cen.  xvii.  part  ii.  chap.  iii.  6,  7,9,  10. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALTSM  IN  HOLLAND.  299 

he  assigned  the  damned  after  the  termination  of  their 
actual  suflerings,  it  is  diflBciilt  to  say.  He  does  not  main- 
tain their  annihilation  ;  and  we  think  the  result  of  his  sys- 
tem was,  to  leave  them  in  a  middle  condition  between 
absolute  damnation  and  beatific  bliss.^ 

^  To  those  who  desire  more  fully  to  investigate  the  sentiments  of  Epis- 
copius,  I  recommend  an  examination  of  his  works,  which  have  been  pub- 
lished, in  two  volumes  folio,  particularly  his  Responsio  ad  Quaestiones 
Theologicas  Ixiv.  In  the  sixty  second  question  and  reply  may  be  found 
his  views  on  the  subject  of  punishment,  summed  up  in  the  following 
manner. 

I.  That  there  is  to  be  a  punishment  inflicted  on  the  impious  and  wicked 
after  this  life,  the  principle  of  divine  justice  dictates:  2  Ihcss  i.  6,  whence 
is  evinced  that  the  impious  are  to  sufier  judgment  after  death,  the  scrip- 
ture every  where  testifying  thereunto,  Matt.  xxv.  41,  &c.,  &c. 

II.  That  this  jjunishment  is  to  be  piojjortioned  to  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  oflenccs  and  wickedness,  the  principle  of  divine  justice  also 
requires.  And  that  the  quantity  and  quality  of  wickedness,  should  be  esti- 
mated according  to  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  corresponding  grace, 
the  same  justice  demands,  and  the  principle  of  justice  renders  evident  in 
itself. 

III.  The  Scriptures  pronounce  this  punishmeut  to  be  eternal.  Matt.  xxv. 
last  verse,  &c.,  &c.  IS'or  does  the  princi])le  of  justice  disagree,  so  far  as 
relates  to  the  penalty  of  damnation,  or  annihilation.  This  is  evident  in 
itself.     As  it  regards  a  sensible  punishment,  I  say, 

IV.  That  it  is  not  repugnant  to  justice,  if  it  consists  in  the  mere  and  sen- 
sible perpetual  privation  of  that  eternal  good  which  the  contemners  of 
eternal  life  despised,  joined  with  an  eternal  hopelessness  of  enjoying  it, 
without  any  other  sutiering  which  might  be  connected  with  it.  If  you 
eay  that  the  Scriptures  have  moreover  added  a  most  intense  suffering  from 
the  burning  of  eternal  fire,  then  I  say, 

V.  That  very  intense  suffering  cannot  and  ought  not  to  be  otherwise 
understood,  than  as  it  is  commensurate  to  the  greatness  of  the  transgres- 
sions. For  one  suffering  is  necessarily  greater  than  another,  as  the  sins 
are  not  equal.  If  you  say  eternal  suffering  cannot  be  rendered  commen- 
surate with  temporal  transgressions,  then  I  say, 

VI.  That  suffering  from  the  burning  of  fire  may  be  called  eternal  in 
three  respects.  1.  Inasmuch  as  that  fire  always  burns  most  intensely, 
and  this  burning  will  be  connected  with  a  most  intense  suffering.  2. 
Inasmuch  as  fire  will  burn  and  produce  suffering  until  it  shall  be  con- 
sumed; in  which  sense  the  fire  by  which  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  burnt, 
is  called  eternal,  Jude  7th  verse,  and  every  where  in  the  Prophets  that 
fire  which  burns  as  long  as  it  can,  and  has  any  fuel,  is  calle^l  inextinguish- 
able. 3.  Inasmuch  as,  that  fire  being  extinct,  the  consciousness  of  wick- 
edness and  of  crimes  will  burn  the  criminals,  and  an  eternal  hopelessness 
of  obtaining  joy,  will  follow. 

But  how  God  is  to  inflict  this  sensible  punishment,  or  this  eternal  suf- 
fering, is  to  be  left  to  him.  For  it  suflices  to  say,  that  God  the  most  just 
and  wise  Judge,  will  punish  none  without  their  deserving  it,  nor  beyond 
their  merits.  In  determining  the  kind  of  eternity,  let  every  one  enjoy  his 
own  opinion.  M.  Simonis  Episcopii  Responsio  ad  Questiones  Theologicas 
Ixiv.  ipsi  a  Discipulis  in  privato  disputationum  (JoUegio,  Amstelodami 
propositas.  Archbishop  King  puts  down  Episcopius  as  one  who  seems  to 
oppose  eternal  punishment. 


300  MODERN    HISTORY   OF   UNIYERSALTSM.     [Boolcv.  Ch.ii 

III.  It  is  a  pleasing  task  to  introduce  in  connection  with 
Episcopius,  one  who  was  possessed  of  a  congenial  faith, 
and  a  congenial  spirit ;  the  learned  and  well  known  John 
Le  Clerc.  His  father  was  a  phj^sician  of  eminence,  and 
Greek  professor  at  Geneva ;  and  paid  the  strictest  attention 
to  the  education  of  his  son,  whose  natural  genius  aided  the 
parent's  endeavors,  and  who,  preferring  the  study  of 
divinity,  was  admitted  early  into  orders.  Soon  he  em- 
braced the  principles  of  the  Arminians  ;  and  a  residence  of 
some  considerable  time  at  Saumur,  where  the  views  of  the 
hypothetical  Universalists '  had  been  zealously  defended, 
had  a  tendency  to  confirm  him  in  his  opposition  to  the 
tenets  of  the  Calvinists.  After  visiting  England,  where 
he  received  highly  flattering  attention  from  learned  per- 
sons, he  formed  the  determination  not  to  reside  at  Geneva, 
but  settled  at  Amsterdam,  where  he  was  at  first  a  popular 
preacher,  and  afterwards  professor  in  the  college  of  the 
Arminians. 

He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  writings  of  Episcopius  ; 
and  in  one  of  his  works  "  he  recommends  attention  to 
what  his  predecessor  had  advanced  on  the  subject  of  future 
rewards  and  punishment.  He  had  essentially  weakened 
the  foundation  of  endless  misery  by  maintaining  that  there 
is  no  term  in  the  Hebrew  language  which  expresses  of 
itself  eternal  duration,  and  that  Holam,  and  the  other  words 
rendered  everlasting,  signify  a  concealed  and  unknown  ex- 


1  The  hypothetical  Universalists  were  a  class  of  men  who  taught  a  kind 
of  middle  doctrine  between  the  systems  of  Calvin  and  Arminius.  They 
were  denominated  hypothetical  Universalists,  because  they  maintained 
that  God  is  willing  to  show  mercy  to  all  mankind,  and  because  they  held 
that  faith  in  Christ  is  a  necessary  condition  to  render  them  the  objects  of 
the  divine  mercy.  These  doctrines  prevailed  in  France,  particularly  in 
Saumur,  where  men  of  great  learning  and  influence  defended  them,  and 
they  were  afterwards  embraced  at  most  of  the  Protestant  Universi- 
ties. There  is  no  essential  ditfcrence  between  the  sentiments  of  the  hypo- 
thetical Universalists,  and  those  of  the  Arminians  of  tlie  present  day. 
See  Nicliolson's  Encyclopedia,  art.  Universalists.  Mosheim's  Eccle. 
Hist.  Cen.  xvii.  part  ii.  chap.  ii.  14. 

^  'Hist.  Eccl.  Diiorum  Primorum  a  Christo  nato  Sieculorum.  Prolego- 
mena.    Sec  iii.  Chajj.  iv.  §  viii.  num.  4. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  HOLLAND.  301 

tent  of  time,  either  in  reference  to  the  commencement  or 
termination  of  the  thing  to  which  they  are  applied^    Speak- 
ing of  the    doctrine  of  future   retribution,  he    says,  "it  is 
enough  that  Christ's  judgment  will  be  conducted  on  defi- 
nite and  well-known  laws,  so  that  its  justice  shall  be  seon 
by  all.     For  the    great  diversity  of  crimes  there  will  be  a 
proportional  variety  of  punishments,  whatever  they  consist 
in ;  and  the  same  will  be  the  case  with  rewards,  there  be- 
ing no  less  a  diflerence  in  the  merits  than  in  the  crimes  of 
individuals.     But  if  the  eternal  duration   of  either  appear 
to  any  one  repugnant  to  the  divine  goodness   and  justice, 
he  should  seek  to  solve  the    difficulty  by  means  of  the  dif- 
ferent degrees  in  punishments  and  rewards.     If  after  all, 
eternal  punishments  inflicted  on  finite  creatures  for  finite 
sins,  should  be  judged  incapable  of  being  reconciled  with 
the  Divine  Justice,  it  would  not  thence  follow  that  we  must 
doubt  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  or  call  the  Divine  Justice  in 
question,  because  they  appear  repugnant  to  right  reason. 
It  would  be  better,  if  absolutely  necessary,  to  resort  to  this 
solution  :  that  on  account  of  human  depravity,  God  may  he 
said  to  have  threatened  more  than  he  will  execute,  as  he  can 
by  his  own  sovereign  authority,  remit  punishvients  to  mankind ; 
or  else  that  Eternity  may  he  considered  an  indefinite  duration, 
to  which  God  had  placed  no  limits  known  to  us,  the  word  some- 
times signifying  an  age."  * 

IV.  We  may,  perhaps,  include  among  the  Dutch  Univer- 
salists,  the  learned  and  ingenious  Samuel  Crellius.  He  was 
born  in  March,  1660,  pursued  the  studies  of  his  youth  in 
the  academy  of  the  Arminians  at  Amsterdam :  Went  to 
Berlin  in  1680,  and,  after  spending  some  time  there,  pro- 

'  Ars  Critica,  &c.  See  art.  on  Hell  in  Rees'  Cyclopedia.  The  defi- 
nition Parkhurst  gives  the  word  will  not  be  found  to  differ  materiaUy 
from  this.  • 

^  Hist.  Eccles.  Duorum  Primorum,  as  quoted  before.  Le  Clerc  was  a 
great  admirer  of  Tillotson's  famous  sermon,  and  defended  it  in  the  Biblio- 
theque  Choise. 


302  MODEEN  HISTOEY  OP  UNIVERSALISM.    IBookv.  Ch.ii 

ceeded  to  Prussia,  whence  he  departed  for  Koenigswald, 
near  Frankfort,  on  the  Oder,  where  he  lived  many  years, 
discharging  the  functions  of  the  Christian  ministry  among 
the  Unitarians.  While  here  he  was  elected  an  elder  at  the 
Synod  of  Selchovia,  and  made  frequent  journies  to  Frank- 
fort and  Berlin.  In  1697,  he  went  to  Holland,  thence  to 
England,  and  while  in  London,  published,  in  reply  to  Bull's 
defence  of  the  Nicene  Faith,  his  view  of  the  opinions  of 
the  primitive  Christians,  proved  from  Barnabas,  Hermas, 
and  Clemens  Romanus.  Thence,  it  is  thought,  he  returned 
to  Holland,  and  published  his  Compendium  of  New 
Thoughts  concerning  the  First  and  Second  Adam.  He 
then  went  back  to  Germany,  visited  again  Berlin,  and  Was 
courteously  received  by  Ancillonius.  He  afterwards  took 
up  a  second  residence  of  some  years  at  Koenigswald,  sus- 
taining the  ofiSce  of  a  minister  to  the  Anti-trinitarians  of 
the  March  and  of  Silesia,  making  frequent  visits  to  Berlin. 
Here  he  contracted  a  friendship  with  several  learned  men, 
particularly  with  La  Croze,  with  whom  he  freely  corres- 
ponded between  the  years  ITIO  and  1725.  About  the  end 
of  the  year  1725  he  took  another  journey  to  England, 
where  he  published  his  work  on  the  Introduction  of  John's 
Gospel,  and,  in  April,  1727,  returned  to  Holland.  He  closed 
his  valuable  life  at  Amsterdam,  in  1747,  aged  87.^ 

Crellius  made  the  principal  figure  among  the  Socinians 
of  his  time,  although  he  difiered  from  them  in  some  points 

1   FRANCI3   PUCCIUS. 

Some  have  asserted  that  Francis  Puccius  was  a  believer  in  the  final  hap- 
piness of  all  men.  The  Abbe  Gregoire  says,  "  L'  erreur  des  Universalistes 
qu'  on  a  nomnies  quelquefois,  docteurn  de  misscricorde  n'  est  pas  nonvelle. 
Censuree,  autrefois  dans  Origene,  dans  Rethorius,  elle  fut  reproduite  en 
159'2,  par  une  des  hommes  les  plus  versatiles  en  fait  de  religion ;  Puccius, 
dans  un  ouvrage  fVimenx  qu  'il  dedia  an  pape  Clement  viii.  See  "  De 
Christi  Servatoris  efScacitate  in  omnibus  et  •singulis."  One  might  con- 
clude from  these  things  that  Puccius  was  a  Universalist:  but  there  is  no 
sufficient  proof  of  that  fact.  He  extended  the  sacrifice  of  Christ 
more  widely  and  made  it  more  efficacious  than  many  in  his  time,  but  we 
have  no  evidence  that  he  distinctly  avowed  his  faith  in  the  final  happiness 
of  all  men.  The  quotation  from  the  Abbe  Gregoire  may  be  found  in  the 
"  Histoire  des  Sectes  Religieuses,"  Tome  Premier,  pp.  78,  79. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  HOLLa"nD.  303 

of  his  faith.  Stoschius,  iu  his  history  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  says,  "  I  remember  that  Crellius,  whom  I  visited 
at  Amsterdam  in  1T42,  and  with  whom  1  had  much  conver- 
sation on  many  heads  of  the  Christian  doctrine,  declared 
with  some  emotion,  that  he  did  not  follow  the  opinions  of 
Socinus,  but  cordially  believed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  satis- 
faction of  Christ,  as  it  was  taught  by  the  Remonstrants, 
and  was  persuaded  that  all  men  will  be  finally  saved  by  Jesus 
Christ,  and  delivered  from  the  torments  of  Hell."  ^ 

'  This  account  of  Crellius  has  been  principally  collected  from  a  Memoir 
of  him,  translated  from  Fred.  Samuel  Bock's  Historia  Anti-trinitariorum, 
Tom.  i.  pars  1.  See  also  Mosheim's  Eccle.  Hist.  Cen.  xvii.  part  ii.  chap. 
vi.     5  note  in  loc.  and  Cen.  xviii.  27. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER    III. 
HISTOEY  OF    UNIVERSALISM    IN   SWITZERLAND- 

THE    GENEVAN    PASTORS. 

I.  Among  the  traces  of  Universalism  which  we  find  in 
Switzerland,  our  attention  is  principally  called  to  a  body 
of  highly  respectable  divines  of  Geneva,  who  lived  about 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  to  whom  a  belief  in 
the  doctrine  of  a  future  limited  punishment,  in  contradis- 
tinction from  that  which  is  eternal,  has  been  imputed. 
This  city  was  the  seat  of  Calvin's  influence  and  doctrines, 
and  the  place  where  the  unfortunate  Servetus  suffered  an 
unjust  and  ignominious  death,  for  opposing  the  dogma  of 
the  Trinity.  As  early  as  1750  the  pastors  of  whom  we 
have  spoken  were  charged  with  holding  the  sentiments  we 
have  attributed  to  them,  by  the  authors  of  the  celebrated 
French  Encyclopedia,  among  whom  D'Alembert  and  Diderot 
may  be  reckoned ;  and  it  is  asserted  that  the  Genevan 
pastors  had  entertained  these  views  for  thirty  years,  which  - 
if  correct,  shows  them  to  have  been  a  kind  of  cautious 
Universalists,  almost  from  the  commencement  of  the  18th 
century.  Here  follows  a  translation  of  a  part  of  the  arti- 
cle from  the  Encyclopedia.^     "  Hell,  which   is  one  of  the 


*  See  Encyclopedie,  par  une  Societie  de  gens  de  lettres  art.  Geneve. 
See  also  Milner's  End  of  Controversy,  p-  269. 


306  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.C.iii. 

principal  articles  of  our  creed,  has  ceased  to  be  so  in  that 
of  many  of  the  ministers  of  Geneva.  According  to  them, 
it  would  be  unjust  in  the  Deity,  so  full  of  goodness  and 
mercy,  to  suppose  that  he  is  capable  of  punishing  our  sins 
with  an  eternity  of  torment.  They  explain  with  as  little 
awkwardness  as  they  may,  the  positive  declarations  of 
Scripture  which  are  opposed  to  their  doctrine,  alleging  that 
nothing  should  be  taken  literally  which  is  at  variance  with 
humanity  and  reason.  They  believe  in  the  existence  of 
future  punishments,  but  of  limited  duration.  So  that 
Purgatory,  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the  separation  of 
the  Protestants  from  the  Romish  Church,  is  now  the  only 
state  of  suffering  after  death  which  many  of  them  admit  — 
a  curious  fact  to  be  added  to  the  history  of  the  contradic- 
tions of  mankind."  In  addition  to  this,  the  authors  of  the 
Encyclopedia  charged  them  with  Socinianism,  and  with 
approaching  closely  to  Deism. 

These  imputations  had  not  been  long  before  the  public, 
when  the  clergy  implicated  came  out  with  their  "  solemn 
protest  against  the  imputation  of  Socinianism,"  in  which 
they  deny  the  charges  brought  against  them.  It  is  proper, 
however,  to  examine  this  document  with  discrimination. 
The  pastors  and  professors  say,  "  on  several  subjects  opin- 
ions are  attributed  to  many  of  us  which  we  do  not  hold,  and 
others  are  misrepresented."  This  is  a  tacit  acknowledg- 
ment that  some  of  them,  at  least,  did  hold  the  opinions  iu 
question.  Again,  they  say,  "  Christian  charity  keeps  us  at 
the  widest  possible  distance  from  persecution,  and  enables 
us  to  bear  without  uneasiness  some  diversity  of  opinion  on 
points  which  are  not  essential."  Here  is  an  acknowledg- 
ment that  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  among  them  on 
some  points.  The  charge  of  Deism  made  in  the  Encyclo- 
pedia was  totally  unreasonable  and  unfounded  ;  and  as  it 
was  one  of  the  charges  made  by  the  Catholics  against  the 
Protestants,  so  it  has  been  reiterated  by  so  called  evan- 
gelical  Protestants  against   those  who  have  ventured  to 


A.  D.  1750.  UNTVETISALTSM  IN  SWITZERLANP. 


807 


depart  from  their  standards  of  faith.     The  principal  object 
of  the  Genevan  clergy  was  to  defend  themselves  against  this 
charge.     That  they  were  Anti-Calvinists  and  Anti-Trinitari- 
ans will  not  be  denied,  nor  did  they  deny  that  they  believed 
in  a  limited  future  punishment.    Their  reply,  on  this  point, 
is  precisely  the  same  that  a  New  England  Unitarian  of  the 
present  day  would  give  to  the  same  charge  :  "  Our  morality 
is  the   morality  of  the   gospel,  always   connected  with  its 
doctrines,    and   deriving    thence   its   strongest   sanctions, 
especially  from   the   promises  of  eternal   life  and   felicity 
which  it  makes  to  those  who  reform  their  conduct,  and  the 
threat  of  eternal  condemnation  which  it  denounces  against 
the  impious  and  impenitent.     In  this  respect,  as  in  every 
other,  we  think  it  our  duty  to  keep  close  to  the  language 
of  Scripture,  which  speaks  not  of  purgatory,  but  of  heaven 
and  hell,  where  every  one  shall  receive  according  to  the  deeds 
done  in  this  life."     No   one  can  call   this  a  denial  of  the 
charge  of  universal  restitution.    The  Genevan  pastors  used 
the  word  everlasting,  not  because  they  believed  in  the  end- 
less duration  of  punishment,  but  because  it  occurs  in  the 
Scriptures  ;  and  they  surely  meant  that  they  used  it  in  the 
Scriptural  sense ;  believing  in  no  punishment  which  was  not 
"  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  this  life."     D'Alembert, 
in  defence  of  the  article  in  the  Encyclopedia,  says,  "  If  the 
ministers  of  Geneva  have  protested  against  the  article  in 
question,  it  is  evident  they  have  done   so  as  a  matter  of 
form,  and  that  they  do  not  wish  to  make  the  Confession  of 
Faith  pass  for  any  thing  else  than  what  it  really  is.     They 
will  continue  to  speak  and  think,  in  public  and  in  private, 
just  as  they  did  before  this  Confession  was  made.     This  is 
attested  by  all  the  well  informed  Frenchmen  who  have  been  at 
■  Geneva  since  that  time.     We  may  further  observe,"  contin- 
ues D'Alembert,  "  that  if  the  Church  of  Geneva  has,  for  the 
present,  some  reproaches  to  fear  from  the  other  Protestant 
Churches,  they  will  be  only  temporary,  and  that  at  a  period 
which  is  probably  not  very  remote,  it  will  have  the  satisfac 


308  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNTYERSALI9M.    [Book  t.  C.  iii. 

tion     according  to   the   prediction  of  ^ossuet,  to   see  all 
these  churches  united  with  it  in  the  same  belief." ' 

The  sentiments  of  the  Genevans  became  changed,  if  we 
may  hazard  a  conjecture,  by  means  of  their  association 
with  the  influx  of  strangers,  whom  the  beauty  of  the  city 
and  its  surrounding  scenery,  the  salubriousness  of  the  air, 
and  the  renown  of  its  literary  institutions,  drew  among 
them.  From  all  quarters,  particularly  from  France  and 
Holland,  the  youth,  and  such  in  a  special  manner,  as  were 
pursuing  a  theological  education,  resorted  to  Geneva,  whose 
academy  then  stood  in  the  highest  repute  among  the  re- 
formed churches.  But  its  lustre  and  authority  began  to  de- 
cline, from  the  time  that  Universities  were  founded  at 
Leyden,  Franeker,  and  Utrecht.* 


MARIE   HUBER. 

IT.  In  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the  doc- 
trine of  Universalism  found  an  able  advocate  in  the  author- 
ess of  "  Lettres  sur  la  religion  essentielle  a  V  homme." 
She  was  a  woman  of  learning,  maturity  of  intellect, 
vivacity  of  style,  liberality  of  heart,  a  hater  of  error  and 
priestcraft,  and  a  lover  of  all  mankind.  We  refer  to  Marie 
Huber.  She  was  born  in  Geneva,  about  1695,  and  died  in 
Lyons  in  1T53,  and  at  her  death  must  have  been  about 
sixty  years  of  age.  She  wrote  an  abridgment  of  the  Spec- 
tator, Letters  on  the  Religion  essential  to  man  ;  the  System 
of  the  Ancient  and  Modern  Theologians  on  the  state  of  the 
Soul  after  death.  Being  a  Protestant,  some  of  her  works 
were  violently  attacked  by  the  Catholic  divines.  ^ 

■•  Monthly  Repository,  vol.  xiii.  pp.  22 — 27.  Melanges  D'Alembert, 
iii.  465. 

^  Mosheim's  Eccle.  Hist.  Cen.  xvii.  part  ii.  chap.  ii.  10. 

3  "We  liave  not  learned  that  this  woman  was  in  any  way  connected  with 
Samuel  Huber,  of  Wittenburg,  (Book  v.  chapter  i.  p.  245.)  Dr.  Meun- 
scher  speaks  of  her  (Elements  of  Dogmatical  Theology,  translated  by 
Murdock.  New  Haven,  1830,  pp.  202,  20:!.)  In  our  first  edition  of  this 
history,  we  attributed  the  works  of  Miss  Huber  to  a  writer  by  the  name  of 


A.  D.  1770.]        UNIVERSALTSM   IN   SWITZERLAND.  309 

III.  Jacob  Yernes  was  born  at  Languedoc,  and  became 
a  minister  of  a  church  in  Geneva,  where  he  died  in  1188, 
aged  sixty.  He  published  a  catechism,  in  which  he  denied 
the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  the  Trinity,  and  the  incarna- 
tion, and  taught  that  in  regard  to  the  doctrine  of  endless 
punishment,  the  Bible  seemed  to  afford  proof  both  for  and 
against  it.^ 

IV.  Although  the  opinions  of  Charles  Bonnet,  on  the 
point  in  question,  are  not  certainly  known,  yet  we  derive 
so  strong  a  conviction  from  his  works  that  he  believed  in 
the  eventual  salvation  of  all  men,  we  cannot  omit  a  notice 
of  him.  He  was  a  native  of  Geneva,  and  was  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  in  the  literary  world  as  a  metaphysician, 
philosopher,  and  explorer  of  nature.  His  moral  character 
was  without  blemish.     In  1^70  he  published  at  Neufchatel 

Muralt,  an  error  into  -which  we  were  led  by  the  Abbe  Gregoire,"  Hts/oiVe 
Sectcs  Religieiises."  A  literary  friend  on  whom  great  dependence  may  be 
placed,  has  sent  me  the  following  facts: 

The  article  in  the  Harleian  Miscellany,  entitled,  "  Natural  and  Revealed 
Religion,  explaining  each  other,"  is 

Translated,  with  great  abridgement,  from  two  anonymous  French 
•VForks,  by  Marie  Iluber;  namely  "  Lettres  sur  la  religion  essentielle 
al'homme,"  &c.,  published  at  Amsterdam,  in  1738,  and  translated  into 
English  the  same  year;  and  "  Le  systeme  des  anciens  et  modernes,  con- 
cilie  par  I'exposition  des  sentiments  diiferents,  de  quelques  theologiens, 
sur  I'etat  des  amesseparees  des  corps,"  published  at  "  Londres"  (Amster- 
dam ?)  in  1731.  Of  the  latter,  an  English  translation  was  published  as  an 
appendix  to  "  The  World  Unmasked,  or  the  Philosopher  the  Greatest 
Cheat,"  London,  1736,  8vo;  seeond  edition,  2  vols.,  London,  1743,  l'2mo. 
The  World  Unmasked  is  a  translation  of  Marie  Huber's,  "  Le  monde  fol 
prefere  au  monde  sage,"  and  published  at  Amsterdam  in  1733  and  1744. 
Two  editions  of  the  work  in  French  were  printed  before  it  was  translated, 
and  a  second  English  edition  appeared  in  London  as  early  as  1743.  The 
second  volume,  (the  first  not  being  on  the  subject  of  Universalism,)  was  re- 
printed in  the  United  States,  at  Ooopcrstown,  N.  Y.,  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Stacy,  in  the  year  1817. 

The  whole  title  is  as  follows:  "  The  World  Unmasked,  or  the  Philosopher 
the  greatest  Cheat,  in  twenty-four  Dialogues.  To  which  is  added  a  dis- 
sertation on  the  state  of  Souls,  separated  from  their  bodies,  beine;  an  epis- 
tolary treatise,  wherein  it  is  proved,  by  a  variety  of  arguments  deduced 
from  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  the  punishments  of  the  wicked  will  not  be 
endless,  and  all  objections  against  it  solved. " 

'   Histoire  des  Sect.  Relig.  par  M.  Gregoire,  T.  ii.  201. 


310  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALTSM.   [Book  v.  C.  iii. 

his  "  Philosophical  and  Critical  Inquiries  concerning  Chris- 
tianity." In  this,  his  only  theological  work,  he  rather 
glances  at  the  doctrine  of  universal  happiness  than  defends 
it.  In  Book  v.  Chap.  i.  we  have  the  following  :  "  Since 
men  continually  and  spontaneously  expose  themselves,  for 
a  momentary  pleasure,  to  years  of  misery  and  pain,  the 
threats  denounced  by  this  Religion,  (Revealed  Religion,) 
cannot  be  too  forcible  ;  and  it  will  be  suitable  to  the  spirit 
of  the  whole  system,  to  set  forth  the  pains  of  the  wicked 
as  eternal,  or  rather  of  an  indefinite  duration.  But  in  ex- 
hibiting to  man  this  hideous  gulf,  the  doctrine  of  life  will, 
at  the  same  time,  magnify  the  compassion  of  the  merciful 
■Father  of  man,  and  point  out,  on  the  brink  of  the  precipice, 
a  gracious  and  benevolent  hand,  which,  if  in  the  Supreme 
Being,  Justice  6e  Goodness  guided  hy  wisdom ;  if  Almighty 
Benevolence  essentially  require  the  improvement  of  all  intel- 
ligent and  sensitive  beings ;  if  punishments  can  be  the  natural 
means  of  leading  to  perfection  ;  if  they  are,  in  the  moral  econo' 
my,  what  remedies  are  in  the  natural ;  "  if  there  be  more 
joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth :"  "if  there  be 
much  love  where  much  has  been  forgiven :"  My  heart  leaps 
for  joy — /  a7n  lost  in  admiration — what  a  wonderful  chain  of 
doctrines  !     The  compassion   of  the  "  only  Good  "  is  infinite 

—  he  desireth  not  the  death  of  a  sinner ;  but  that  he  should  turn 
from  his  wickedness  and  live  "  —  He  desireth  !  —  and  shall 
Ke  desire  in  vain?"  Again,  same  Book,  chap.  vi.  "In 
conformity  to  these  views,  so  far  excelling  all  human 
views,  the  Messenger  of  the  Most  High,  was  to  be  born  of  a 
Virgin,  in  an  obscure  family,  but  descended  from  illustrious 
ancestors,  to  whom  the  most  magnificent  promises  had  been 
made  by  ancient  prediction.  This  birth  was  to  be  pro- 
claimed to  Shepherds  ;  and  the  celestial  heralds  commis- 
sioned to  celebrate  by  their  hymns  the  glad  tidings,  were 
to  instruct  these  Shepherds  in  the  object  and  extent  of  the 
mission  of  Christ  —  on  earth  peace,  good  will  towards  men 

—  Good  Will  —  not  towards  one  single  elected  nation,  but 


A.  D.  1770.]         UNIVEESALISM  IN  SAVITZERLAND.  311 

towards  all  the  nations  of  the  world.  Good  Will  —  not  to  one 
single  generation  ;  but  to  every  generation  jaas^  and  to  come; 
the  Benevolence  of  the  Best  and  Greatest  of  Beings  com- 
prehends all  mankind,  because  he  is  the  father  of  all." 

V.  Thus  did  Universalism  find  advocates  in  Switzerland. 
But  it  would  swell  this  work  far  beyond  the  limits  we  have 
prescribed  ourselves,  to  mention  every  instance  in  which 
the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment  was  disputed.  There 
is  one  case,  however,  we  must  not  pass  over,  Ferdinand 
Oliver  Petitpierre  occupied  too  high  a  position  as  a  de- 
fender of  Universalism,  and  suffered  too  much  on  account 
of  his  belief  in  this  doctrine,  to  be  passed  over  with  a  very 
brief  notice.  He  was  minister  of  Chaux-de-Fonds,  a  vil- 
lage in  Switzerland,  in  the  Canton  of  Neufcliatel,  and  nine 
miles  N.  N.  W.  from  the  capital,  bearing  the  same  name. 
In  1107,  this  Canton  was  acknowledged  as  belonging  to 
the  King  of  Prussia,  under  whose  sovereignty  it  remained 
until  1807,  when,  by  the  treaty  of  Tilsit,  it  was  ceded  to 
France  ;  but  in  1814  it  was  restored  to  Prussia. 

Petitpierre  must,  we  think,  have  been  known  as  a  Uni- 
versalist  as  early  as  1770.  The  ingenuousness  of  his  dis- 
position would  not  permit  him  to  adopt  that  policy  which 
induces  many  to  conceal  their  sentiments  ;  and  he  avowed 
therefore,  to  his  congregation  and  the  public,  his  fixed  be- 
lief in  the  eventual  salvation  of  all  mankind.  Vengeance 
fell  upon  him.  His  church  complained  to  the  King  of 
Prussia  as  Lord  of  the  principality  of  Neufchatel,'  and  de- 
sired the  removal  of  their  hitherto  highly  respected  pastor. 
The  Consistory  also  adopted  measures  against  him  ;  and  at 
length  the  King,  far  from  being  convinced  of  the  justice  of 
the  measure,  but  worn  out  by  incessant  importunity,  de- 
posed him ;  and  wrote  the  church,  that  since  their  articles 

'  Erskiue's  Sketches  of  Church  Hist.  i.  237.  Erskine  derived  his  infor- 
mation from  German  Literary  Journals,  1776 — 1788. 


312  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  0.  iii. 

of  faith  would  have  it  so,  he  could  not  hinder  the  people 
of  Neufchatel  from  being  eternally  damned.' 

In  1786,  Petitpierre  published  in  French,  at  Hamburg, 
his  principal  Universalist  work,  entitled,  "  The  plan  of  God 
with  respect  to  man,"  more  generally  known  in  England 
and  America  under  the  title  of  "  Thoughts  on  Divine  Good- 
ness." 2  Shortly  after  this  he  visited  London,  where  he 
resided  for  many  years,  enjoying  the  friendship  of  all  with 
whom  he  became  acquainted  ;  and  no  writer  who  has  men- 
tioned him,  either  for  the  purpose  of  approving  or  con- 
demning his  writings,  has  spoken  of  him  but  in  terms  of 
the  highest  respect. 

The  work  of  which  we  have  spoken  is  one  of  the  most 
pleasing  defences  of  Universal  Salvation  which  has  ever 
been  published.  The  author  commences  by  maintaining, 
that  to  make  mankind  happy  is  the  primary  object  of  God's 

'  The  Abbe  Gregoire  says,  "  concerning  Petitpierre,  the  measure  adopt- 
ed by  the  Consistory  of  Neufchatel  against  him  is  well  known,  as  well  as 
the  impious  pleasantries  of  the  King  of  Prussia  on  that  subject."  His- 
toire  des  Sect.  Relig.  ii.  57.  The  following  extract  from  Williams'  Tour 
in  Switzerland,  we  think,  shows  that  Petitpierre  had  the  respect  and 
patronage  of  the  king.  That  divine  was  an  ardent  lover  of  Universalism, 
and  defended  the  system  at  length  in  his  work,  Le  Plan  de  Uieu,  &c. 
Williams  says: 

"  Since  the  celebrated  controversy  which  arose  between  Petitpierre  and 
his  brethren,  the  clergy  of  Neufchatel,  respecting  tlie  eternity  of  hell  tor- 
ments, in  which  opinion  the  former  was  supported  by  Frederick  the 
Great,  no  contest  respecting  jarerogative  or  privilege  has  taken  place. 
The  King,  Petitpierre  and  Slarshall  Keith,  with  their  doctrine  of  final 
salvation  were,  after  long  discussion,  obliged  to  quit  the  field;  the  clergy 
maintained  their  privileges;  and  the  king  declared,  that  puisqu'ils  nvoient 
si  foit  a  cceur  d'etre  damnes  eternellement,  (since  they  were  so  resolutely 
bent  on  being  eternally  damned,)  he  should  no  longer  oppose  their  deter- 
mination."    Vol.  ii.  148,  149. 

The  king  probably  had  felt  his  sympathies  powerfully  moved  in  behalf 
of  Petitpierre,  whom  he  regarded  as  an  injui-ed  man,  and  he  interposed 
to  save  him  from  exclusion  from  his  charge.  A  contest  in  regard  to  eccle- 
siastical privilege  was  thus  brought  on;  but  the  bigotted  clergy  prevail- 
ed ;  and  the  king  took  leave  of  them  with  the  sarcasm  we  have  quoted 
above. 

2  The  original  title  of  the  work  was  as  follows:  "  La  Plan  de  Dieu  en- 
vpvs  les  Honimes  tel  qu'il  I'a  manifeste  dans  la  Nature  et  la  Grace." 
Hamburg,  1786,  8vo. 

There  were  several  editions  of  Petitpierre  in  French.  We  recollect  to  have 
seen,  in  Enclish,  an  octavo  edition,  by  S.  Hazard,  Bath,  England,  1788. 
Of  Amuncah  editions  I  have  seen  one  at  Walpole,  N-  H.,  by  Thomas  & 
Ihomas,  1801;  one  at  Montpelier,  Vt-,  Geo.  W.  Hill,  1828. 


A.  D.  1780.]       UNIVERSALTSM  IN    SWITZERLHND.  313 

moral  government.  His  will  is  to  save  them,  and  the 
means  by  which  he  effects  their  salvation  is  by  bringing 
th^m  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  has  revealed  him- 
self to  the  understanding  of  man,  in  nature  and  in  revela- 
tion. These  it  is  our  duty  to  study,  the  latter  with  particu- 
lar caution ;  without  prejudice,  and  with  a  sincere  desire 
to  know  what  is  truth.  Here  I  solemnly  protest,"  says 
the  author,  "in  the  presence  of  the  Almighty,  that  in 
reading  and  meditating  on  his  word,  to  know  his  will  and 
designs  towards  us,  I  have  with  sincerity  and  in  his  fear, 
sought  truth  in  its  purity,  with  simplicity  of  heart,  without 
hope  or  fear  of  its  agreeing  or  disagreeing  with  that  cate- 
chism which  I  was  taught  to  receive  in  my  youth,  without 
sufficient  examination ;  well  convinced,  that  if  such  or  such 
opinions  were  true,  I  should  find  them  confirmed  in  Scrip- 
ture ;  if  false,  they  would  not  become  true  by  my  obsti- 
nately persisting  to  believe  them  without  examination;  so 
that  I  had  nothing  to  lose,  or  rather  I  had  every  thing  to 
gain,  by  bringing  them  sincerely  to  this  test;  since  the 
only' thing  of  importance  to  me  was  to  fly  from  error,  and 
to  come  at  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  ' 

1  Thevounerer  Rev.  Mr.  Coquerel  said,  (Paris,  1851,)  "Some  years 
later,  a  minister  of  Neufcliatel,  F.  Petitpierre  an  excellent  man  a  worthy 
Dastor  and  an  eminent  preacher,  was  led  by  the  course  of  his  studies  and 
reflections,  to  discard  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment.  Influenced  by 
a  love  of  peace,  excessive,  no  doubt,  but  which  did  not  spring  from  any 
motive  of  fear  or  interest,  Petitpierre  resolved,  at  first,  not  to  make  his 
conviction  public.  He  did  not  deny  it,  however,  and  was  very  soon  sus- 
T>ected  of  doubting  eternal  damnation.  A  snare  was  spread  to  discover 
his  opinion,  without  openly  asking  him;  he  fell  into  it;  his  heresy  was 
revealed  and  regarded  as  a  great  scandal.  yVhen  Petitpierre  saw  that 
there  was  no  way  of  preserving  in  the  church  that  peace  which  he  desired, 
he  spoke  openly,  with  power  and  effect.  He  carried  the  doctrine  of  the 
Universal  benevolence  of  God  to  his  chair.  He  proclaimed  his  conviction 
boldly,  and  in  every  way.  His  colleagues,  who,  till  then  had  gradually 
manif^ted  moderation  and  wisdom,  yielded  at  last  to  the  spirit  of  the 
time  and  the  dogmatic  law  which  ruled  their  church,  in  pronouncing  the 
deposition  of  the  heretic.  We  must  do  them  this  justice,  however,  that 
thev  used  milder  means,  at  first,  than  their  church  organization  permitted 
such  as  admonitions  and  censures;  but  all  these  means  were  of  no  avail 
aeainst  the  noble  frankness  and  conscientious  boldness  of  Petitpierre- 
His  displacement,  declared  by  ecclesiastical  authority,  must  be  presented 
for  the  approval  of  the  king  of  Prussia,  who  was  prince  of  NeufchateL 


814  MODERN   HISTORY  OP  UNIVERSALISM.   [Book  v.  Ch.  iii 

VI.  We  must  include  in  the  number  of  the  Swiss  Uni- 
versalists,  the  renowned  and  amiable,  John  Gasper  Chris- 
tian Lavater,  known  generally  as  the  principal  defender  of 
the  science  of  Physiognomy.  His  works  on  this  subject 
have  been  translated  into  all  the  languages  in  Eunjpe.  As 
a  scholar  and  divine  he  occupied  the  highest  rank,  filling 
his  oflBce  as  pastor  of  the  church  of  St.  Peter's,  at  Zurich, 
with  the  greatest  honor  to  himself,  and  acquiring  an  im- 
perishable fame  by  his  eloquent  discourses  and  exemplary 
life.  He  died  in  1801,  of  a  wound  received  from  a  French 
soldier,  when  Zurich  was  stormed  by  the  troops  under 
Massena. 

The  doctrine  of  TJniversalism  was  a  sentiment  which  this 
eminent  philanthropist  embraced  with  all  the  native  fervor 
of  his  heart.  In  one  of  his  works,  he  breaks  out  in  the 
following  ardent  expression  of  his  views  :  "  The  Creator 
cannot  hate  his  creature ;  and  so  long  as  the  damned  re- 
main creatures,  so  long  God  is  their  Creator.  God  is  love 
forever  and  ever.  He  is  not  gracious  in  time  and  cruel 
through  eternity.  He  cannot  say  in  time,  "  I  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  sinner,  but  that  he  repent  and 
live  ;  "  and  yet  in  eternity  punish  without  aiming  at  their 
reformation.     Ascribe  not  to  God,  what  in  a  human  judge 

But  the  king  was  Frederic  the  Great,  and  he  refused.  After  a  time, 
however,  and  being  assured  that  the  dismissal  was  valid  by  law,  Frederic 
II.  consented  to  sign  it,  but  in  doing  so,  uttered  the  characteristic  words, 
"  Since  the  Neufchatel  p  istors  desire  to  be  eternally  damned,  let  them  be 
eternally  damned- "  Many  reflections  might  be  indulged  in  regard  to  a 
church  so  organized,  that  a  conscientious  minister  did  not  consider  him- 
self bound  to  make  all  his  opinions  known ;  while  wise  and  moderate  col- 
leagues demanded  his  removal  of  an  absolute  monarch  who  granted  it 
against  his  will  Such  remarks,  however,  would  draw  me  too  far  from 
my  subject,  and  they  will  doubtless  suggest  themselves  to  your  country- 
men. 

Petitpierre  does  not  seem  to  have  had  any  disciples;  the  light  shone  but 
a  short  time,  being  smothered  speedily  under  the  official  bushel.  Even 
the  books  he  published  are  so  scarce,  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  pro- 
cure any  co])ies;  there  are  none  in  Paris.  They  are  entitled  "Apology  of 
M.  Petitpierre  ior  his  system  of  no  eternal  punishment  in  the  next  life. 
1761,  r2mo.  {Apologie  de  M.  Petitpierre  sur  son  Systeme  de  nan  eternite 
des  peine  s  a  i^cnir.)  And  the  Plan  of  God  in  relation  toman.  Hamburg, 
1786,  8vo.     (Le  Plan  de  Dieu  envers  les  honnnes.") 


A.  D.  1770.]         UNIVEESALISM  IN  SWITZERLAND.  315 

all  would  account  a  defect  in  wisdom  and  goodness,  the 
punishing  for  the  sake  of  punishing.  It  is  enough,  my 
Creator,  thou  art  Love.  Love  seeketh  not  her  own  ;  thou 
seekest  the  happiness  of  all,  and  shouldst  thou  not  then 
find  what  thou  seekest  ?  Shouldst  thou  not  be  able  to  do 
what  thou  wiliest  ?  "  ' 

"  My  prayers,"  said  he,  "  were  comprehensive.  My 
family,  my  friends,  my  fellow-citizens,  my  enemies,  all 
Christians,  all  men  were  included  in  them.  I  flew  to  the 
most  distant  seas.  I  penetrated  into  the  deepest  mines 
and  dungeons,  I  embraced  in  my  heart  all  that  is  called 
man;  present  and  future  times  and  nations;  the  dead,  the 
damned,  yea  Satan  himself:  I  presented  them  all  to  God, 
with  the  warmest  wishes  that  he  would  have  mercy  on 
them  all."  ^ 

*  Erskine's  Sketches  of  Church  History. 

*  Adams'  Religious  AVorld  Displayed,  iii.  381. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER  IV. 
HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM  IN  FRANCE. 

I.  France  has  always  been  a  Catholic  country,  and  com- 
paratively speaking,  hut  small  means  for  the  introduction 
of  Protestant  sentiments  have  existed  in  that  kingdom. 
We  are  not  to  expect,  therefore,  to  find  very  frequent  in- 
stances of  the  prevalence  of  Universalism.  The  following 
will  show  the  traces  we  have  discovered. 

II.  The  earliest  defender  of  Universalism  in  this  country 
of  whom  we  have  read,  was  Thomas  Cuppe.  He  was  curate 
of  Bois,  in  the  diocese  of  Saintes,'  and  is  said  to  have  been 
an  eminently  learned,  pious  and  dignified  divine. '  He 
-wrote  a  work,  which  was  published  we  believe  after  his 
death,  entitled,  "  Le  Ceil  ouvert  a  tons  les  Ifommes,"  or 
"  Heaven  open  to  all  men."  From  what  we  have  been 
able  to  learn  of  the  author,  we  perceive  that  he  represented 
the  work  of  salvation  as  going  on  without  the  assistance  of 
human  agency.  He  held  to  diflFerent  degrees  of  bliss  in 
the  world  to  come  ;  but  rejected  the  notion  of  future  pun- 
ishment in  every  sense,  except  as  it  might  consist  in  a 
diminution  of  reward  ;  and  maintained  that  we  ought  to  be 
afraid  of   sin,  because   it   deprives   us  of    superabundant 

'  Histoire  des  Sect.  Relig.  T.  i.  p.  78,  79. 
»  Monthly  Rep. 

317 


318  MODERN    HISTORY   OF   TJNIVERSALISM.     [BookT.  Ch.  iv. 

grace,  and  renders  us  liable  to  temporal  punishments.   The 
first  edition  of  the  work  was  printed  as  early  as  1745.1 

THE    FRENCH    PROTESTANTS. 

Ill,  Very  mild  doctrines  in  respect  to  future  punishments 
have  prevailed  among  some  of  the  French  Protestants.  In 
the  Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Church  at  Nantes,  speaking 
of  the  exclusiveness  of  the  Roman  Church,  they  say : 

If  eternal  salvation  were  to  be  found  only  in  the  Church  of  Rome," 
it  would  follow  that  almost  the  whole  human  race  must  be  necessarily 
doomed  to  eternal  torment,  since  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  globe,  so  far  from  being  of  the  papal  fraternity,  do  not  even 
know  the  name  of  Home,  or  whether  such  a  person  as  the  Pope  ex- 
ists. And  God  would  be  strangely  unjust,  to  burn  thousands  of 
millions  of  men  whose  only  crime  is  not  to  have  belonged  to  a 
church  which  it  has  been  absolutely  impossible  for  them  to  become 
acquainted  with.  America,  for  example,  was  not  discovered  till 
fourteen  centuries  after  the  death  of  Christ. 

This  extract,  although  decidedly  of  a  liberal  character, 
does  not  show  conclusively  the  belief  of  the  church  in  the 
final  salvation  of  all  men.  Nevertheless,  we  find  the  con- 
fession of  that  doctrine  in  that  section  of  the  creed  entitled 
Future  Retribution. 

Future  Retribution.  God  is  the  punisher  of  sin,  and  the  re- 
warder  of  virtue. 

But  God  is  not,  as  is  pretended,  a  jealous,  angry,  violent  Being- 
thirsting  for  vengeance. 

He  is  a  Father,  whose  benevolence  is  unlimited ;  he  desireth  not 
the  death  of  the  sinner  ;  he  will  render  to  every  one  according  to 
his  works,  proportioning  the  punishment  to  the  offence  ;  and  he 
knows  all  the  frailty,  ignorance  and  wretchedness  of  our  nature. 

While  we  admit  and  assert  a  great  difference  of  condition  among 
souls  after  death,  according  to  their  moral  conduct  in  this  life,  we 
are  persuaded  that  they  will  all  have  the  power  of  being  restored  at 

1  The  first  edition  we  believe  appeared  in  1743,  at  London.  It  was  en- 
titled, "  Le  Ceil  ouvert  a  tous  les  hommcs,"  ou  Traite  Theologique,  par 
Jequel,  sans  rien  dcranger  des  practiques  de  la  i'eligit)n,  on  prove  solide- 
mcnt,  par  1'  Ecriture  Sainte  and  par  la  Raison,  que  tousles  liomnies,  sont 
saiives-  Par  fou  Mr  I'ierre  Cu])pe,  Pretre-Baclielier  en  Thoologie,  Chan- 
oino  Rcc'ulier  de  Saint  Auffustin,  Prieure-Cui'e  de  la  Parrisse  de  Boin, 
Diocese  de  Santes.    A  Londres,  1783. 


A.  D.  1730.]  UNTYERSALISM   IN   FRANCE.  319 

some  future  day,  by  successive  trials ;  and  that  in  process  of  time, 
the  happiness  of  every  creature  will  be  the  final  result  of  God's 
plans,  since  we  regard  him  as  a  father,  and  never  as  a  tyrant;  a 
Beino;  who,  in  creating  us,  has  pledged  himself  to  make  us  all 
happyJ 

IV.  James  Necker,  the  great  financier,  and  prime  minis- 
ter of  France,  was  a  Universalist.  A  native  of  Geneva, 
where  he  spent  both  the  morning  and  the  evening  of  his 
days,  we  are  at  a  loss  whether  we  ought  not  to  have  class- 
ed him  among  the  Swiss  defenders  of  the  salvation  of  all 
men.  He  was  a  member  of  the  council  of  two  hundred  at 
Geneva,  was  sent  afterward  as  ambassador  from  the  Ee- 
public  to  France,  where  he  held  the  oflSce  of  syndic  to  the 
East  India  Company;  in  1775  was  made  director  to  the 
Royal  Treasury,  and  was  twice  raised,  though  a  foreigner, 
to  the  high  station  of  first  minister.  All  who  knew  him 
bear  witness  to  his  fidelity,  his  piety,  and  the  respect  he 
entertained  for  religion  ;  and  his  virtues  appear  to  sliine 
with  the  greater  splendor,  when  contrasted  with  the  loose 
principles  and  immoral  lives  of  many  of  his  contemporaries. 
He  stood  up  erect  among  them,  dignified,  Christian-like, 
waving  back  the  tide  of  infidelity,  —  a  true  man  in  every 
respect.  The  strongest  proof  of  the  benevolence  of  his 
heart,  is  found  in  the  striking  abhorrence  with  which  he 
regarded  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment.  He  exclaim- 
ed, as  with  horror,  "  Eternal  punishment  I  Power  Almighty, 
can  they  who  entertain  such  an  idea  know  thee  ?  Eternal 
fire  for  those  miserable  creatures  who  have  to  resist  the 
seductions  of  error  and  the  storms  of  the  passions  I  Eter- 
nal fire  for  those  miserable  creatures  who  have  so  many 
combats  to  sustain,  and  are  armed  with  such  feeble  weap- 
ons !      Power     Almighty,    thy    goodness    preceded    our 


'  A  valuable  article  on  Protestantism  —  IJniversalism,  in  France,  may 
be  found  in  the  Universalist  Quarterly,  Vol.  v.  p.  165,  from  the  pen  of 
Rev.  T.  B.  Thayer. 


320  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.      [Book  v.  Ch.iv. 

birth,  it  still  subsists  after  we  are  cut  off  by  the  hand  of 
death."  i 

V.  A  later  French  Universalist  bore  the  name  of  Chais 
de  Sourcesol.  He  held  an  office  in  the  seminary  of  St. 
Supplice.  He  published,  in  1800,  at  Avignon,  where  he 
then  resided,  Le  Livre  des  Manifestes,  two  small  volumes, 
since  reprinted  at  Paris.  In  the  year  1800,  there  appeared  at 
Paris  the  supplement  to  this  work,  entitled,  La  Clef  des 
Oracles  divins.  In  this  the  author  opposes  the  law  of  celib- 
acy, of  confession,  the  veneration  of  relics,  the  worship  of 
images,  and  the  celebration  of  the  mass.  These  two  works 
have  been  followed  by  VEvangile  Eternel,  in  which  he  main- 
tains that  the  justice  of  God  consists  in  nothing  but  in  re- 
gulating his  compassion  by  the  misery  of  his  creatures, 
and  he  treats  as  absurd,  the  eternal  duration  of  punishment. 
Lastly,  there  appeared  Mandement  du  Ciel  mix  Eglises  egarees, 
complement  du  Livre  des  Manifestes.  Here  he  opposes  again 
the  Romish  Church,  the  worship  of  relics  and  of  images, 
the  invocation  of  Saints,  the  eternity  of  pains,  the  celibacy 
of  the  clergy,  and  the  observation  of  lent.  This  author, 
it  is  said,  afterward  removed  to  America.^ 

YI.  It  is  very  pleasant  to  number  among  the  believers  of 
universal  restitution,  that  amiable,  benevolent  Christian, 
John  Frederick  Oberlin,  pastor  of  Waldbach,  in  France. 
He  was  a  man,  like  Howard,  for  benevolence.  Undoubted- 
ly the  warm  love  of  mankind,  which  he  cherished  in  his 
own  soul,  led  him  to  embrace  fervently  the  hope  of  the 
salvation  of  all  men.     Says  his  biographer  : 

"  He  seemed  to  hope  that  the  passage,  1  Cor.  xv.  28,  -where  it  is 
said  that  '  all  thinos  '  shall  be  subjected  unto  the  Almighty,  and  the 
Son  also  himself  shall  be  subjected,  that  '  God  may  be   all   in  all,' 

'  "  Memoirs  of  the  Private  Life  of  my  Father,  by  the  Baroness  de  Stael 
Holstien,  to  which  are  adacd  Miscellanies  by  M.  Necker."  p.  2s5.  See 
Mont.il.  Kepos.  xv.  p.  114,  lirj. 

^  Ilistoire  des  Sect,  lleli-.  T.  ii.  21-23. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   FRANCE.  321 

might  include  not  only  the  little  flock  of  Christ's  immediate  follow- 
ers, but,  ultimately,  at  some  almost  indefinite  j^eriod,  through  the 
boundless  mercy  of  God  and  the  blood  of  Jesus,  wliich  Avas  shed  for 
the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  all  the  race  of  mankind.  And  he  was 
strengthened  in  this  belief  by  understanding  in  another  than  the 
ordinary  sense,  that  '  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shall  all 
be  made  alive.'  " '     1  Cor.  xv.  22. 


OTHER  FACTS  CONCERNING  FRANCE, 

VII.  A  late  writer  has  said,  that  the  doctrine  of  Univer- 
salism  has  prevailed  very  extensively  in  France,  —  a  fact 
with  which  we  were  not  acquainted  until  recently.  There 
is  a  numerous  class  of  Christians  there,  called  Arians, 
Pelagians  and  Socinians  by  their  enemies,  but  who  are  in 

'  Sefi  Memoirs  of  .Tohn  Frederick  Oberlin,  pastor  of  WaVlbach,  in  the 
Ban  de  la  Roche.  From  the  third  London  edition,  with  an  Introduction 
by  the  American  editor.     Cambridge,  1832,  p.  200. 

This  pure-hearted,  excellent,  useful  man,  whose  praise  has  been  on 
almost  every  tongue,  died  on  June  1st,  1826,  in  the  eighty-sixth  year  of 
his  age,  after  an  illness  of  two  or  three  days.  From  the  second  London 
edition  of  the  Memoir  of  Oberlin,  we  learn,  that 

He  had  a  remarkable  reverence  for  the  Bible,  and  especially  for  the 
books  of  Moses  and  the  Gospels,  p.  233. 

Of  the  manner  of  his  discourses,  and  his  deep  reverence  for  the  Bible, 
see  the  following. 

"  In  his  sermons,  Oberlin  was  simple,  energetic  and  affectionate,  con- 
tinually speaking  to  his  people  under  the  appellation  of  mes  chers  amis, 
[my  dear  friends.]  He  a])peared  to  study  a  colloquial  plainness,  inter- 
spersing his  discourses  with  images  and  allusions,  which  had  they  been 
ad  li'essed  to  a  more  refined  audience  might  have  been  deemed  homely,  but 
which  were  particularly  adapted  to  the  capacities  and  wants  of  his  seclud- 
ed villagers.  He  would  frequently  introduce  biographical  anecdotes  of 
persons  distinguished  for  their  piety ;  and  the  boundless  field  of  nature 
furnished  liim  striking  illustrations  to  explain  spiritual  things.  But  the 
Bible  itself,  la  chere  Bible,  (the  dear  Bible,)  as  he  exclaimed,  with  tears 
of  gratitude,  a  short  time  before  his  last  illness,  was  the  grand  source  of 
all  his  instructions.  It  formed  the  study  of  his  life,  and,  as  he  said,  con- 
stituted his  own  consolation  under  all  trials,  the  source  of  his  strength, 
and  the  ruling  principle  of  his  actions;  —  how  then  could  he  do  less  than 
recommend  it  to  othei's?  He  was  in  the  habit  of  citing  very  largely  from 
it,  from  the  conviction  that  the  simple  exposition  of  the  word  of  God  was 
the  best  means  c«f  efiicaciously  interesting  his  flock.  His  sermons  were  al- 
most always  composed  with  the  greatest  cai-e ;  and  when  unable,  for  want 
of  time,  to  write  them  out  at  length,  he  made  at  least  a  tolerably  full  out- 
line. In  general,  he  committed  them  scrupulously  to  memory,  but  in 
the  pulpit  he  did  not  confine  himself  to  the  precise  words,  and  would  in- 
deed sometimes  change  the  subject  altogether,  if  he  saw  that  another  Avas 
apparently  better  suited  to  the  circumstances  of  his  auditory."  pp.236, 
237. 


322  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALTSM.      [B00kv.Ch.l7. 

fact,  Unitarian  Universalists.  A  correspondent  of  the 
*'  New  York  Observer,"  a  highly  Orthodox  publication,  is 
now  in  France,  [1834,]  making  diligent  inquiry  into  the 
state  of  religion  there.  He  says  of  the  sect  to  whom  we 
have  referred  above  : 

"  They  refuse  also  to  admit  the  eternity  of  future  misery ; 
they  believe  only  in  a  temporary  punishment,  a  sort  of  Pro- 
testant purgatory,  whence  condemned  souls  will  one  day  be 
released  and  share  the  happiness  of  the  elect.  They  ex- 
plain the  new  birth  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
only  a  change  of  conduct,  a  natural  result  of  human  powers. 
The  other  doctrines  of  revelation  are  also  mutilated  by  our 
Socinians  and  Arians,  and  when  their  theological  system  is 
attentively  examined,  it  is  a  mere  empty  shadow  of  evan- 
gelical truth. 

I  have  said  above,  that  the  pastors  who  adopt  Pelagian 
and  Arian  opinions,  are  numerous  in  France.  This  fact  is 
unhappily  too  well  established.  We  could  wish  it  were 
otherwise,  but  can  we  refuse  to  open  our  eyes  ?  Can  we 
deny  what  is  known  and  obvious  to  all  ?  These  pastors 
are  generally  well  received  by  infidels  ;  for  infidelity  readily 
forms  a  close  alliance  with  Socinianism.  Not  that  our 
worldly  men  are  generally  Socinians  ;  but  they  love  Socin- 
ian  preachers,  because  these  last  resemble  themselves  much 
more  than  the  Orthodox,  because  they  announce  to  them 
doctrines  accommodated  to  their  ruling  habits,  and  out  of 
the  church,  do  not  speak  of  religion." 

Here  we  have  the  explicit  testimony  of  a  violent,  ortho- 
dox sectarian,  that  Universalism  has  prevailed  to  a  consid- 
erable extent,  among  the  Protestant  clergy  in  France.  As 
to  the  epithets  of  reproach  which  he  casts  upon  them,  we 
cannot  account  for  them  very  easily,  except  from  bitter- 
ness, and  we  let  them  pass  without  further  remark. 

A  female  traveller,  who  was  in  Paris  about  the  same 
time  with  the  last  named  writer,  and  who  produced  a  work 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   FRANCE.  323 

entitled,  "  Paris  and  the  Parisians,"  speaks  of  a  body  of 
Christians,  whom  she  found  in  that  city,  as  follows : 

"  They  acknowledge  the  '  real  presence  '  in  the  Eucharist.  The 
Clergy  are  permitted  to  marry.  They  deny  that  any  power  of  abso- 
lution rests  with  the  Priest,  but  allow  him  that  of  intercession  by 
prayer.  Auricular  confession  is  not  enjoined,  but  recommended  as 
useful  to  children.  They  profess  entire  toleration  to  every  variety  of 
Christian  belief,  and  refuse  to  acknowledge  a  dependence  on  any 
foreign  sect.  They  recognize  the  seven  sacraments,  deny  the  eter- 
nity of  punishment,  and  Mrs.  T.  found  no  mention  made  oi  Purga- 
tory !  They  require  not  fasting  and  abstinence,  but  leave  such 
matters  with  the  faithful  themselves — '  substituting  for  an  occasional 
fast  an  habitual  sobriety,  and  replacing  a  periodical  abstinence  by 
temperance  observed  each  day,  each  year,  through  life.'  " 

M.    COQUEREL    AND    THE    CHURCH    DE    l'oRATOIRE. 

VIII.  But  the  fullest  and  most  satisfactory  testimony  is 
given  by  the  younger  M.  Coquerel,  one  of  the  pastors  of 
the  church  de  V  Oratoire,  in  Paris.  After  having  described 
Universalism  in  Prance,  in  former  times,  he  says  : 

"  Now  that  I  come  to  our  times,  I  can  speak  to  you  of  works  pub- 
lished in  France.  But  I  can  cite  only  a  single  French  author,  who 
has  taught  Uuiversalism  formally  and  explicitly  ;  I  mean  my  father. 
He  has  done  it  on  two  occasions.  In  1847,  he  published  an  outline 
of  all  his  theological  and  philosophical  convictions,  in  his  "  Experi- 
mental Christianity,"  {Christ ianisme  Experimental,)  a  work  which 
was  translated  the  same  year  in  London,  with  the  title,  ^^Christianity, 
its  perfect  adaptation  to  the  mental,  moral  and  spiritual  nature  of 
man."  The  last  chapter  of  this  book  is  entitled,  "  Hope  of  Univer- 
sal Restitution ; "  and  the  idea  of  the  final  salvation  of  all  souls  is 
presented  as  a  necessary  result  of  all  that  goes  before ;  the  natural 
and  indispensable  climax  of  the  Christian  economy.  The  objections 
to  the  doctrine  are  examined  and  refuted  in  the  light  of  the  philoso- 
phical and  Christian  principles  of  the  work,  and  copious  notes  con- 
tain a  discussion  of  the  Biblical  texts. 

Later  still,  last  November,  my  father  delivered  two  sermons  on 
the  same  subject,  which  a  large  number  of  believers  requested  him 
to  publish.  They  appeared  about  the  first  of  this  year,  in  a  small 
12mo.  volume,  with  the  title,  "  The  Second  Death,  and  Eternal  Pun- 
ishment." {La  Mart  Seconde  et  les  peines  eternelles.)  The  question 
is  fairly  met,  plainly  stated,  and  clearly  solved.  These  sermons  met 
result  which  might  have  been  expected.  Some  narrow  and  con- 
servative minds  were  much  offended;  but  the  great  majority  of  our 
Protestants,  eager  for  such  a  truly  liberal  Christianity,  saw  with  joy 
the  downfall  and  destruction  of  the  difficulties  with  which  Calvinistic 


324  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.      [Book  v.  Ch.  iv. 

Orthodoxy  has  enwrapped  the  Gospel,  and  gratefully  received  the 
pure  radiance  of  the  i)ivine  Word,  which  is  love.  The  Universalist 
faith  meets  the  needs  of  a  great  number  of  souls  ;  a  multitude  of 
persons  have  borne  witness  to  this  fact  to  my  father.  He  has  re- 
ceived miiny  letters  and  visits,  in  which  religious  people  have  thanked 
him  for  having  removed  that  terrible  stone  of  stumbling  from  their 
path. 

Liberal  Protestantism  counts  by  far  the  most  numerous  adherents 
in  France ;  the  strict  Calvinists  are  much  smaller  in  number,  and 
with  few  exceptions,  are  growing  less  rigid  every  day.  Now  the 
final  Restoration  is  a  doctrine  which  is  more  and  more  regarded  as  a 
natural  sequence  of  Protestant  Liberalism,  and  without  claiming  that 
the  word  IJuiversalism  is  very  prevalent,  or  that  the  question  occu- 
pies a  large  space  in  the  actual  mental  movement  of  the  time,  that 
movement  is  favorable  to  it  in  a  high  degree.  Many  people  are 
Universalists,  or  become  so,  without  clearly  accounting  to  themselves 
for  their  faith. 

Many  of  the  most  eminent  pastors  in  France  sympathize  with  our 
views  upon  the  question  ;  and  since  congregations  are  generally  dis- 
posed to  admit  ttiem,  progress  is  going  on."  ' 

1  See  the  work  entitled,  "  A  Year  Abroad,  or  Sketches  of  Travel  in 
Great  Britain,  France  and  Switzerland."  By  Wiilard  C  George.  Boston; 
Abel  Tompkins,  lb52.  pp.  152,  1S3. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER    V. 
HISTOEY   OF    UNIVERSALISM    IN   PRUSSIA  AND  ITALY- 

PAUL    JEREMIAH    BITAUBE. 

I.  Paul  Jeremiah  Bitaube,  published  a  work  at  Berlin,  in 
1763,  entitled,  Examen  de  la  Confession  de  Foi  Vaicaire 
Savoyard.  In  this  production  he  insinuated  the  doctrine  of 
Universalism  ;  and  he  is  well  known  to  have  been  doubtful 
on  the  subject  of  eternal  punishment.  He  was  a  pensioner 
of  Frederick  II.,  and  held  a  place  in  Berlin  Academy.  His 
works,  were  a  French  translation  of  Homer  ;  Joseph,  and 
Les  Bataves,  poems  ;  De  I'lnfluence  des  Belles  Lettres  sur 
la  PhiloBophie,  and  Elogee  de  Corneille. 

MOVEMENT    OF    THE    PROTESTANT    FRIENDS. 

II.  The  people  of  Prussia,  as  well  as  through  all  Ger- 
many, are  breaking  away  from  the  faith  and  forms  of  the 
Catholic,  and  also  the  German  Protestant  or  Established 
Chui'ch.  A  large  section  of  this  Church  filed  off  not  long 
since.  We  learn  from  the  Watchman  and  Reflector ,  the  lead- 
ing Baptist  journal  of  Massachusetts,  that  their  leader  is 
"  a  middle  aged  man  named  Ulich.  It  may  be  mentioned 
in  passing,  that  in  1845  he  was  called  from  Poemmelte  to 
the  charge  of  the  Catherine  Church  in  Magdeburg,  and  that 
in   1848   he  was   elected  a  member   first  of  the  Prussian 

325 


326  MODERN  HISTORY   OP  UNIVEESALISM.    [Book  v.  C.  v. 

National  Academy,  and  afterwards  of  that  Second  Chamber  • 
which  was  adjourned  sine  die  by  the  bayonets  of  Father 
Wrangel's  soldiers.  Ulich  is  a  man,  also,  of  irreproachable 
morals,  and  in  his  character  is  an  honor  to  his  profession. 
In  the  spring  of  1841,  Ulich  made  the  arrangements,  and 
issued  a  call  for  a  meeting  of  the  pastors  of  this  vicinity 
at  the  small  town  of  Gnadau.  The  meeting  was  held,  but 
onl}^  sixteen  persons  joined  in  it.  A  second  meeting  was 
held  in  October,  at  Halle,  at  which  the  number  of  clergy- 
men and  laymen  together  amounted  to  fifty-six.  During 
the  succeeding  three  years,  the  success  of  Ulich  and  his 
friends  was  astonishing.  In  1844,  assemblies  of  the  peo- 
ple [Volksversammlungen],  were  held  successively  in 
Gnadau,  Schoenback,  Dessau,  Aschersleben,  Koennern, 
Eisleben,  Rathenow,  Wittenberg,  Frankfort,  on  the  Oder, 
Breslau,  Hirschberg,  Goerlity  and  Naumburg.  Besides 
Ulich,  the  principal  leaders  in  the  movement  were  Rupp 
and  Detroit  in  Koenigsberg,  Balzer  in  Delitsch,  and  after- 
wards in  Nordhausen,  Wislicenus  in  Halle,  Theile  and 
Fischner  in  Leipzic." 

We  have  no  account  of  this  people,  except  what  we  gain 
from  their  enemies,  —  it  is  possible  these  statements  of 
their  religious  opinions  are  not  to  be  fully  relied  upon. 
There  is,  in  the  Watchman  and  Refiector,  already  referred 
to,  under  date  of  June,  1851,  a  somewhat  particular  account 
of  Ulich  and  his  followers,  furnished  by  the  German  cor- 
respondent of  that  paper.  We  give  the  following  ex- 
tracts : 

In  1845,  Ulich  published  two  works  containing  an  ex- 
position of  his  views  :  "  The  Protestant  Friends  ;  a  Circular 
addressed  to  the  Christians  of  the  German  People,"  and 
"  The  Creeds."  They  are  of  some  importance  in  the  history 
of  the  "  Lecht  Freunde  "  movement,  as  they  serve  for  a 
commentary  upon  the  declaration  and  creed  adopted  at  the 
great  Assembly  which  was  held  the  same  year. 

The  " Protestantische  Freunde"  (Protestant  Friends,  or 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALTSM  IN  PRUSSIA.  327 

Friends  of  Protestantism,)  are  laboring  to  the  end  that 
Christianity  may  at  length  in  our  time  reach  its  real  and 
true  form  and  development. 

In  Luther's  Catechism  it  is  taught  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
really  and  truly  God,  and  that  man,  as  a  man,  is  a  lost  and 
damned  being ;  that  Christ  arose  from  the  dead  and  ascend- 
ed bodily  to  heaven ;  that  there  will  be  a  future  resurrec- 
tion of  man  in  the  flesh  ;  that  baptism  works  forgiveness 
of  sins,  and  saves  from  death  and  the  devil,  and  that  we, 
at  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  receive  the  real 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  to  eat  and  to  drink.  Now,  how 
many  of  our  religious  societies  actually  believe  all  this  I 
What,  then,  is  to  be  done  ?  We  must  free  ourselves  from 
all  this  as  our  fathers  freed  themselves  from  heathenism, 
and  afterwards  from  Popery. 

It  is  the  noble  task  of  the  "  Protestantische  Freunde  " 
not  only  to  separate  from  systems  of  Christianity  whatever 
has  no  foundation  in  truth,  but  also  to  proclaim  to  the 
world  what   the   truths  of  Christianity  really  are. 

Luther  teaches,  "  man  is  by  himself  utterly  bad,  and  for- 
ever damned  ;  the  punishment  which  he  deserves,  Christ 
took  upon  himself,  and  atoned  for  on  the  cross  ;  whoever 
properly  and  truly  believes  this,  to  him  is  the  merit  of 
Christ  imputed,  and  declared  by  God  to  be  a  recompense — ■ 
to  him  will  God  show  mercy,  and  he  shall  share  in  the 
.blessedness  of  eternity."  This  doctrine  falls  at  once  if  we 
hold  fast  to  the  thought — God  is  our  Father — God  is  love  1 
Time  was  when  rude  and  uncultivated  ages  could  picture 
to  themselves  eternal  wrath  on  the  pai't  of  the  Deity,  and 
eternal  punishment  for  the  sinner.  But  believe  this — we 
cannot —  we  dare  not ! 

The  death  of  Christ  upon  the  cross  is  indeed  the  highest 
of  all  proofs  of  his  love  to  mankind,  the  strongest  testi- 
mony he  could  give  of  the  truth  of  what  he  taught  con- 
cerning the  duty  of  men  to  love  God  and  to  love  one  another 
and  concerning  the  love  of  God  for  us.     This  is  reasonable 


328  MODERN   HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  C.  v. 

and  Christian,  for  between  reason   and  real  Christianity 
there  is  no  opposition. 

All  those  who  repudiate  the  prominent  doctrines  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  are  not  to  be  set  down  as  Rationalists, 
in  the  obnoxious  sense  of  that  term.  All  over  Germany 
the  leaven  of  the  gospel  is  working,  and  purging  out  the 
errors  of  former  ages.  The  people  have  not  lost  their  re- 
spect for  Luther  ;  they  think  he  was  an  angel  of  God,  in 
redeeming  the  human  mind  from  bondage  ;  but  he  lived  in 
the  very  dawn  of  the  Reformation,  and  scarcely  saw  the 
broad  light  of  day.  If  we  follow  the  principles  which 
Luther  laid  down  as  the  basis  of  the  reformation,  they  will 
lead  us  to  all  truth. 

HISTORY    OF  UNIVEESALISM    IN  ITALY. 

in.  The  only  instance  we  have  known  of  the  defence  of 
Universalism  in  this  countr;^,  occurs  in  the  case  of  a  work 
entitled  Tractatus  de  Omnium  Rerum  Mestitutione,  a  "Tract 
on  the  Restitution  of  all  Things,"  8vo.,  printed  at  Venice, 
1592,  and  written  by  Costacciaro  vel  Carbo  A.  Costiaro. 
Neither  of  this  author,  nor  of  his  work,  have  we  been  able 
to  find  any  account ;  but  we  judge,  from  the  title,  it  was 
in  favor  of  Universalism,  though  of  this  we  cannot  be  cer- 
tain. ' 

'  Watts'  Bibliotheca. 


BOOK    V. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

HISTORY    OF    UNIVERSALISM    IN    IRELAND. 

I.  Ireland  furnishes  few  instances  only  of  the  prevalence 
of  Universalism,  but  these  are  found  among  her  most  cele- 
brated ecclesiastics.  George  Rust,  was  a  fellow  of  Christ's 
College,  in  Cambridge,  and  was  patronized  by  several 
learned  men,  among  whom  we  may  reckon  Jeremy  Taylor; 
by  whose  influence  he  was  made  dean  of  Connor,  and 
afterwards  was  raised  to  the  See  of  Dromore.  Among  his 
associates  in  college  were  Dr.  Henry  More  and  Archbishop 
Tillotson,  of  whom  we  have  spoken ;  and  it  is  highly  pro- 
bable that  the  foundation  of  their  liberality  and  community 
of  sentiment,  was  thus  early  laid.  The  publication  in 
which  Bishop  Rust  has  manifested  his  belief  in  the  salva- 
tion of  all  mankind,  is  his  "  Letter  of  Resolution,  concern- 
ing Origen  and  the  chief  of  his  opinions,"  which,  although 
not  an  open  defence  of  Universalism,  has  obtained  for  its 
author  the  credit  of  having  favored  that  doctrine.  It  pur- 
ports to  have  been  written  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  one 
of  his  friends,  without  any  expectation  of  its  being  pub- 
lished, and  is  a  statement  of  Origen's  opinions,  with  the 
arguments  by  which  he  maintained  them,  and  an  account 
of  the  spirit  and  temper  of  his  opponents,  and  the  reasons 
they  alleged  against   his   sentiments.     These   the   Bishop 

329 


330  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.     IBookv.C.vi. 

classes  under  six  heads.  1.  Origen's  views  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  among  the  hypostases  whereof  it  is  said  he  admit- 
ted an  inequality.  2.  The  pre-existence  of  human  souls. 
3.  That  mankind  were  clothed  with  terrestrial  bodies,  and 
placed  on  this  earth,  as  a  punishment  for  sins  committed  in 
a  pre-existent  state.  4.  That  the  mystery  of  the  resurrec- 
tion is,  that  men  will  be  clothed  with  heavenly  or  etherial 
bodies.  5.  That  after  long  periods  of  time,  the  damned 
shall  be  delivered  from  their  torments,  and  try  their  for- 
tunes again  in  such  regions  of  the  world,  as  their  nature 
fits  them  for.  6.  That  the  earth,  after  its  conflagration, 
shall  become  habitable  again,  and  be  the  mansion  of  men 
and  other  animals,  and  this  in  eternal  vicissitudes.  The 
intelligent  reader  of  the  Bishop's  letter  will  perceive,  that 
no  person  who  did  not  hold  the  views  of  Origen  concern- 
ing the  final  salvation  of  all  men,  could  have  stated  his 
opinion  with  so  much  warmth,  and  repelled  the  objections 
to  it  with  such  spirit  and  success  ;  and  the  author  certainly, 
if  he  meant  to  disguise  his  sentiments,  was  constrained  by 
his  feelings  to  speak  with  sufficient  freedom  to  convict  him 
of  being  the  ardent  defender  rather  than  the  mere  annota- 
tor  of  Origen's  sentiments.  We  are  indeed  in  an  error,  if 
this  letter  was  not  designed  principally  and  primarily  as  a 
defence  of  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Restitution,  which  its 
author,  on  account  of  the  station  he  held,  was  reluctant  to 
acknowledge  as  his  real  object ;  and  though  the  produc- 
tion was  at  first  anonymous,  he  takes  care  to  guard  against 
the  charge  of  heresy  by  showing,  that  what  the  moderns 
regard  as  Origen's  distinguishing  tenet,  viz.,  Universal 
Restitution,  is  tolerated  in  the  thirty-nine  Articles  of  the 
English  Church. 

Bishop  Rust  finally  concludes  his  account  by  saying  : 

"  So  that  whithersoever  we  look,  whether  to  the  gracious  provi- 
dence of  God,  or  the  necessity  of  the  nature  of  things,  we  find  some 
probable  hope,  that  the  punishment  of  the  damned,  as  it  implies  the 
sense  of  pain,  shall  not  be  eternal  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  Avord. 
But  whether  their  release  be  by  any  change  wrought  in  the  dispo- 


A.  D.  1750.  UNIVERSALISM  IN  IRELAND.  831 

sition  of  their  spirits,  but  without  death  ;  or  whether  by  an  escape, 
as  it  were,  by  dying  to  the  body  so  tortured ;  there  is  no  doubt  to 
be  made,  but  that  both  ways  they  may  come  into  play  again,  and  try 
their  fortunes  once  more  in  such  regions  of  the  world  as  Providence 
judges  fit  for  them."  ^ 

II.  A  work  appeared  in  Dublin,  in  1Y48,  entitled,  An 
Essay  on  the  Felicity  of  the  Life  to  Come,  by  C.  L.  de  Vil- 
lette,  minister  of  the  French  Church  of  St.  Patrick  in  that 
city.  It  was  an  8vo.  of  four  hundred  and  forty  pages,  and 
was  conducted  by  way  of  dialogue.  In  the  latter  part,  the 
question  concerning  eternal  punishment  is  introduced,  the 
negative  of  which  this  author  defends.  Whether  he  did 
not  believe  in  annihilation,  is  a  question  of  doubt.  "  There 
is,"  said  he,  "  much  reason  to  believe,  that  during  the  two 
or  three  first  ages  of  Christianity,  the  annihilation  of  the 
impenitently  wicked  was  the  generally  received  doctrine. 
They  went  even  further  than  this.  Every  body  knows  that 
the  great  Origen  admitted  the  restitution  of  the  damned, 
without  excepting  the  Devil.  It  has  happened  in  moi'e 
than  one  instance,  that  the  errors  of  the  Fathers  have  been 
received,  while  we  have  rejected  their  sound  doctrines."  2 

III.  The  liberal  principles  of  Archbishop  Newcome  are 
well  known  ;  and  the  station  he  filled  as  primate  of  Ireland, 
is  a  proof  of  the  esteem  with  which  he  was  regarded.  His 
works,  which  were  all  theological,  manifest  his  great  learn- 
ing, and  particularly  his  extensive  Biblical  literature.  The 
sentiments  of  this  great  man  with  regard  to  the  punishment 
of  the  wicked,  were  widely  difi'erent  from  what  would  be 
considered  in  this  country  sound  orthodoxy,  although  we 
cannot  pronounce  with  confidence  that  he  was  a  Univer- 
salist.  At  one  part  of  his  life  he  seems  to  have  believed 
in  annihilation  ;  but  in  the  translation  of  the  New  Testa- 

^  See  a  work  entitled  the  Phoenix,  vol.  i.  p.  1,  in  which  the  Letter  of  Dr. 
Rust  had  been  republished. 

"  Bibliotheque  Raisonnee  pour  les  mois  d'Octobre,  Novembre  and  De- 
cembre,  1748. 


332  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNTVERSALISM.    [BookvCh.vii 

ment,  his  most  elaborate  work,  which  received  his  matures! 
thoughts,  and  which  was  not  published  until  after  his 
death,  he  appears  to  have  favored  a  different  opinion.  See 
his  comment  on  Ephesians  i  :  9,  10.  "  Having  made  known 
unto  us  the  mystery  of  his  will,  according  to  his  good 
pleasure  which  he  purposed  in  himself,  concerning  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  fulness  of  times,  that  he  would  gather 
together  to  himself  in  one  all  things  through  Christ,  which 
arc  in  heaven  and  which  are  on  earth,  even  in  him.''  To 
this  he  adds,  "  Some  think  that  the  Greek  word  implies  the 
idea  of  a  re-union  under  one  head ;  and  it  is  true  that  the 
restoration  of  the  human  race  to  the  knowledge  and  wor- 
ship of  God  was  one  design  of  Christianity  ;  "  and  he  in- 
terprets the  phrase  all  things  to  signify  "  all  persons,  all 
intelligent  beings."  The  expression  which  are  in  heaven, 
and  which  are  on  earth,  he  interprets  to  mean,  "  not  only 
angels,  but  all  mankind  whether  Jews  or  Gentiles."  Of 
Colossians  i.  20,  in  which  the  apostle  declares  that  God  will 
reconcile  all  things  to  himself,  he  adds  that  the  phrase  all 
things  signifies  "  all  intelligent  creatures."  We  confess 
that  we  do  not  consider  this  as  certain  proof  that  he  was  a 
Universalist.  ^ 

IV.  In  Ireland  there  has  been  at  least  one  religious  So- 
ciety professing  Universalism  by  way  of  distinction.  It 
was  established  in  Colerain  ;  and,  in  1824,  the  Eev.  James 
Ewing  presided  over  it  as  elder,  and  Eev.  George  Houston, 
as  assistant  speaker.  Mr,  Ewing  with  several  friends,  was 
excommunicated  from  a  Baptist  church  for  sentiments  sup- 
posed to  be  erroneous.  They  set  up  a  separate  worship, 
but  as  yet  were  not  Universalists,  Some  years  after  this, 
Mr.  Houston,  who  had  been  connected  with  the  Methodists, 
left  them  with  many  other  members,  in  consequence  of  a 
difference  of  views  with   respect  to  the  administration  of 

*  See  his  translation  of  the  New  Testament. 


A.  D.  1800.]  [JNrVERSALTSM   IN    IRELAND.  333 

the  Sacrament.  He  soon  joined  the  society  in  connection 
with  Mr.  Ewing.  On  reading  Evans'  Sketch  of  the  denomi- 
nations in  the  Christian  World,  he  was  very  forcibly  and 
favorably  struck  with  the  system  of  the  Universalists  as 
there  laid  down,  but  he  feared  to  embrace  it.  Shortly  after 
Kamsay's  Travels  of  Cyrus  fell  into  his  hands,  and  the 
reasonings  of  that  work  were  too  cogent  for  him  to  reject. 
He  now  began  anew,  as  it  were,  to  search  the  Scriptures, 
and  found  them  fraught  with  the  doctrine,  which  he  from 
time  to  time  stated  in  his  discourses  to  the  church.  To 
them  it  appeared  strange  at  first,  but  they  had  learned  to 
examine  before  they  rejected,  and  in  a  short  time  the  elder 
and  his  little  band,  believed  the  joyful  tidings. 

This  society  remained  unknown  to  the  Universalists  in 
England  and  Scotland,  until  the  year  1823,  when,  by  acci- 
dent, they  became  acquainted  with  each  other,  and  mutual 
visits  were  interchanged  between  the  pastor  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Society  in  Glasgow,  and  of  that  in  Colerain.  The 
latter  joined  the  British  connexion  of  Universalists,  and 
for  a  long  time,  we  believe,  a  correspondence  was  kept  up 
between  them.' 

1  See  the  Gospel  Communicator,  published  by  Rev.  Mr.  Worrall,  of 
.Glasgow,  vol.  ii.  85;  iii.  ^79  283.  Those  who  would  learn  more  of  the 
History  of  Universalism  in  Ireland,  are  referred  to  an  article  on  Univei-- 
salism  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  by  Rev.  J.  T-  Sawyer,  in  the  Uni- 
versalist  Expositor,  vol.  vi.  pp.  183 — 212. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER    VII. 

HISTORY  OF   UNIVERSALISM   IN   SCOTLAND. 

I.  One  of  the  earliest  Ilniversalists  of  whom  we  find  a 
trace  in  Scotland,  was  Duncan  Forbes,  Lord  President  of 
the  Court  of  Sessions.  He  was  a  Hebrew  scholar,  and 
wrote  several  theological  works.  In  bis  treatise  entitled, 
"  Reflections  on  the  sources  of  Infidelity,"  is  the  following 
observation  in  regard  to  future  punishment  and  its  duration. 
Speaking  of  the  infidel's  objection  to  revelation,  from  the 
perpetuity  of  punishment,  he  says,  "  here  again  the  incom- 
prehensible, the  infinitely  perfect  Being,  is  measured  by  the 
span  of  the  low,  blind,  grovelling  creature  that  makes  the 
objection ;  who,  because  he  cannot  comprehend  why  this 
justice  is  suited  to  the  divine  nature,  concludes  at  once, 
that  the  doctrine  is  impossible,  and  therefore  false ;  and  in 
consequence  rejects  the  revelation  which  is  said  to  assert 
it,  without  giving  himself  the  trouble  to  examine  the  evi- 
dence that  supports  that  revelation,  or  even  to  inquire 
whether  the  matter  that  thus  shocks  him,  is  really  reveal- 
ed. A  careful  inquiry  might  possibly  satisfy  him,  that  the 
perpetuity  of  punishment  is  not  absolutelj'^  afiirmed,  and 
that  no  more  is  necessarily  to  be  inferred  from  revelation, 
than  that  the  misery  of  the  damned  is  to  endure  for  ages." 
It  may  rather  be  said  that  Lord  Forbes  allowed  than  de- 
feuded  the  doctrine  of  Universalism. 

335 


336  MODERN     HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.     IBook  v.  C.  vii. 

II.  James  Purves,  was  probably  the  first  public  preacher 
of  Universalism  in  Scotland.  He  was  born  in  1*^34,  of 
poor  parents,  and  early  in  life  joined  a  society  of  dissenters 
in  Berwickshire.  When  this  society  with  others  of  a  simi- 
lar faith,  desired  to  educate  some  person  to  become  a  pub- 
lic defender  of  their  views,  Mr.  Purves  was  selected. 
This  was  in  1*769.  He  repaired  to  Glasgow,  where  he 
spent  a  short  time,  and  made  some  proficjency  in  the  study 
of  Greek  and  Hebrew.  In  lYYl,  the  society  to  which  he 
belonged  published  an  abstract  of  its  principles,  drawn  up 
by  him,  which  brought  him  into  a  controversy  with  some 
ministers  of  the  reformed  presbytery.  Several  members  of 
these  societies  removing  to  Edinburgh,  Mr.  Purves  was  in- 
vited there  to  be  their  minister,  an  oflSce  which  he  filled 
until  his  death.  As  a  preacher  he  did  not  shine  ;  but 
for  solidity  of  argument,  and  propriety  of  arrangement, 
he  was  justly  esteemed.  In  controversy  he  was  calm  and 
deliberate ;  no  opposition  or  even  insult  ever  ruffled  his 
temper.  A  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  even  in  the 
most  trying  scenes  of  life,  supported  him  ;  and  his  strong 
faith  in  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  enabled  him,  trium- 
phant over  death,  to  resign  all  terrestrial  things,  on  Feb. 
15th,  1795,  in  the  61st  year  of  his  age.  He  died  deeply 
lamented  both  by  his  society,  and  even  his  opponents.' 

He  was  the  author  of  several  works,  the  principal  of 
which  was  entitled,  "  An  Humble  Attempt  to  Investigate 
and  Defend  the  Scripture  doctrine  concerning  the  Father, 
Son  and  Holy  Spirit ;  to  which  are  added  observations  con- 
cerning the  meditation  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  various  dis- 
pensations of  God  the  Father,  and  the  final  issue  of  his 
administration.  With  an  appendix,  &c."  "  Mr.  Purves  was 
a  Unitarian  Universalist. 


1  Monthly  Repos.  xv.  77—80. 

"^  The  edition  of  this  work  which  wc  have  seen,  is  the  second,  published 
iu  1784,  by  Mr.  Purves,  ut  Edinburgh. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  SCOTLAND.  337 

III.  The  Universalist  Society  in  Edinburgh,  we  believe, 
was  never  large.  Mr.  Purves,  although  a  good  writer,  was 
not  an  orator  ;  this,  with  his  humble  mein,  and  disposition 
for  retirement,  disqualified  him  as  a  popular  preacher,  cal- 
culated to  draw  a  large  congregation.  The  society  con- 
tinued in  the  profession  and  maintenance  of  their  faith 
after  his  death.  It  is  now  probably  known  in  connection 
with  the  Unitarians."  ' 

IV.  In  about  five  years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Purves, 
another  champion  arose  to  embrace  the^  doctrine  of  Univer- 
salism  in  Scotland,  and  who,  to  his  death,  remained  an 
ardent  defender  of  this  sentiment.  We  refer  to  Kiel  Doug- 
las. He  was  a  native  of  the  highlands  of  Scotland,  and 
was  once  pastor  of  the  Relief  Church  in  Dundee.  He  em- 
braced Universalism  in  the  year  1801,  and  commenced 
preaching  it  in  Greenock,  where  he  suffered  many  perse- 
cutions. Possessed  of  a  bold  spirit,  inspired  at  the  same 
time  with  a  lively  patriotism  and  benevolence,  he  did  not 
hesitate  to  speak  against  the  political  evils  of  the  times ; 
and  on  one  occasion  he  was  indicted  for  sedition,  but  on 
trial  was  acquitted.  This  was  in  181Y.  After  spending  a 
few  years  in  Greenock  as  a  preacher  of  Universalism,  Mr. 
Douglas  removed  to  Glasgow,  as  a  wider  field  for  useful- 
ness, under  the  condition  that  he  should  administer  occa- 
sionally to  the  people  in  the  former  place.  Here  he  filled 
the  station  of  a  gospel  minister  several -years,  and  raised  up 
a  congregation.  He  labored  arduously  in  the  promulgation 
of  his  sentiments,  not  only  in  Glasgow,  but  in  different 
parts  of  the  country,  and  in  several  places  was  successful, 
and  formed  societies  of  his  own  faith.  He  was  the  author 
of  many  works,  sermons,  treatises,  &c.  We  may  perhaps 
regard  him  as  the  Father  of  Universalism  in  Scotland.* 


1  Universalist  Miscellany,  v  6. 

2  This  account  of  Mr.  Douglass  has  been  picked  up  from  various  sources, 
principally  from  his  preface  to  Mr.  Wiuchester's  famous  sermon,  entitled, 


338  MODERN   HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALIRM.  [Boot  t.  C.  vii. 

V.  In  the  decline  of  Mr.  Doug-las'  life,  the  society  called 
to  his  assistance  in  the  labors  of  the  Gospel,  Mr.  William 
Worrall,  who  had  been  one  of  the  congregation  in  Glasgow. 
This  gentleman  labored  ardently  and  successfully  as  a 
preacher  of  Universal  Kestitution.  He  frequently-  made 
visits  to  different  parts  of  Scotland,  and  seconded  his  labors 
in  the  pulpit  by  the  use  of  his  pen.  During  the  few  years 
he  was  permitted  to  spend  in  the  ministry,  he  published, 
besides  several  sermons,  and  other  tracts,  three  volumes  of 
a  periodical,  entitled  the  Gospel  Communicator,  commenced 
in  August,  1823,  and  continued,  with  a  little  intermission, 
until  1821  ;  and  which  was  probably  the  only  Universalist 
periodical  over  published  in  that  country.  Mr.  Doug- 
las deceased,  on  the  9th  of  January,  1823,  after 
which  Mr.  Worrall  lived  to  serve  the  congregation 
but  two  or  three  years,  and  was  removed  suddenly  by  a 
violent  fever,  in  March,  1828,  leaving  an  afflicted  people  to 
mourn  his  loss.' 

VI.  The  labors  of  such  men  as  Douglass  and  Worrall, 
could  not  be  unavailing.  The  Society  in  Glasgow  increased 
in  numbers,  and  several  congregations  were  formed  in  other 
places.  At  one  time  there  wei-e  five  regularly  constituted 
societies,  besides  that  in  the  city,  in  Greenock,  Johnstone, 
Paisley,  Ayr  and  Falkirk.  These  keep  up  constant  weekly 
meetings,  though  they  had  no  settled  preachers,  some  one 

"The  Outcasts  Comforted,"  one  or  two  editions  of  -which  Mr.  D.  publish- 
ed. His  ■works,  so  far  as  we  have  become  acquainted  with  them,  were. 
The  Duty  of  Pastors  concerning  the  Lord's  Supper,  a  Synod  Sermon, 
with  a  long  dialogue  on  frequent  Communion  ;  A  Critical  Examination  of 
1  Cor.  XV.  24,  28;  An  Answer  to  Rev.  Alexander  Brown's  Letters  in  de- 
fence of  Endless  Misery;  Leonidas,  or  tlie  Invasion  of  Greece,  by  Xerxes; 
Probable  consequences  of  a  successful  Invasion,  ip  reference  to  political 
events;  a  Version  of  the  Psalms,  with  copious  notes;  two  Lectures  deliv- 
ered in  Paisley,  December,  ISO.'i,  on  Universalism,  with  an  appendix,  de- 
fending tlie  doctrine  against  a  recent  attack;  Strictures  on  the  Author's 
Trial ;  Antidote  against  Deism,  kc,  &c.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  arrange 
tliese  in  tlie  order  of  time  in  which  they  were  published. 

'  My  authorities  in  relation  to  the  Sketch  of  Mr.  Worrall's  labors  are 
the  Gospel  Communicator,  and  a  letter  from  Mr.  Edmnnds,  his  successor. 
See  Trumpet,  vol,  1,  p.  131,  (1829.) 


A.  D.  1800,]  UNIVEESALISM  IN   SCOTLAND.  339 

of  the  members  officiating,  and  the  preacher  in  Glasgow 
made  occasional  visits  to  these  places.  The  churches  held 
annual  Conference,  for  mutual  advice  and  co-operation,  at 
which  a  report  was  made  of  the  progress  of  the  cause  they 
espoused,  and  of  the  interesting  events  which  had  occurred 
during  the  past  year.  Those  who  are  known  here  by  the 
name  of  Universalists,  hold  to  the  Deity  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  caused  them  for  a  time  to  maintain  a  distinction  be- 
tween themselves   and   the   Unitarians. 

VII.  The  Unitarian  churches  in  Scotland,  without  ex- 
ception, we  believe,  hold  to  the  doctrine  of  Universal 
Restoration,  which  they  zealously  maintain.  Thej"^  are  not 
many  in  number,  and  would  not  greatly  exceed  the  Univer- 
Balists  in  this  respect.  Dr.  T.  Southwood  Smith,  formerly 
minister  of  the  Unitarian  church  in  Edinburgh,  wrote  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  treatises  ever  published  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  fact,  that  everything  is  under  the  direction  of  in- 
finite wisdom  and  goodness,  and  will  finally  terminate  in  the 
universal  happiness  of  the  human  i-ace.  This  work  was  first 
printed  in  Glasgow,  in  1816,  has  since  been  several  times 
republished,  and  has  received  the  decided  approbation  of 
the  Unitarians  as  a  body.  The  author  considers,  Ist.  The 
Government  of  God.  2d.  The  evidence  in  favor  of  Univer- 
salism,  aside  from  that  furnished  by  the  express  declara- 
tions of  Scripture.  3d.  The  objections  commonly  urged 
against  the  doctrine  ;  and  4th.  The  Scriptural  evidence  in 
favor  of  it.i  The  Rev.  George  Harris,  editor  of  the  Chris- 
tian Pioneer,  printed  at  Glasgow,  is  a  decided  believer  in 
Universal  Restitution,  and  several  years  ago,  delivered  in 

'  This  is  the  -work  which  made  so  deep  an  impression  on  the  mind  of 
Lord  Byron.  Moore  the  biographer  and  intimate  friend  of  his  lordship, 
states  that  he  was  not  an  unbeliever  in  revealed  religion,  but  that  he  was 
sceptical  merely,  and  had  been  so  from  his  early  youth.  His  doubts  arose, 
not  from  ignorance,  or  prejudice,  but  from  the  evidences  of  revealed  re- 
liirion  failing  to  satisfy  his  mind.  He  was  known  to  he  a  frequent  and 
constant  reader  of  the  Bible,  particularly  the  Old  Testament;  and  to  have 
devoted  much  time  to  the  perusal  of  works  on  theology.    His  scepticism 


340  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.      [Book  v.  C.  viL 

Liverpool  a  course  of  lectures,  in  which  one  or  two  dis- 
courses were  devoted  particularly  to  the  defence  of  that 
sentiment.^ 

ROBERT   BURNS. 

VIII.  Rev.  A.  B.  Grosh,  has  written  the  following  facts 
concerning  the  greatest  of  Scotland's  poets: 

True,  the  stern  features  and  gloomy  cloud  of  Calvinism, 
to  which  he  was  reared  in  his  youth,  tinged  his  few  brief 
and  leisure  hours  with  despondency,  and  later  in  life  had 
nearly  hurried  him  into  the  chilling  and  equally  bewildering 
desert  of  infidelity.  But  his  better  moments  and  calmer 
reflections  prevented  him.     The  creed  so  abhorrent  to  his 

and  the  looseness  of  his  moral  conduct,  will,  with  many  persons,  detract 
much  from  the  weight  of  a  deliberate  opinion  even  of  his  mighty  mind, 
upon  a  subject  of  religious  controversy.  With  others,  tlie  opinion  of  one 
of  the  master  spirits  of  the  age,  and  of  one  of  the  greatest  minds  of  all 
ages,  will  derive  an  additional  claim  to  respect,  from  the  circumstance, 
that  he  was  of  no  sect  or  party  in  religion,  and  was  not  pledged,  by  his 
faith,  to  the  support  of  any  particular  system  of  Christian  doctrine.  In 
regard  to  J^uture  punishment,  his  biographer  gives  the  following  account 
of  his  belief. 

On  the  subject  of  Dr.  Southwood  Smith's  amiable  and,  it  is  to  be  hoped 
for  the  sake  of  Christianity  and  the  human  race.  Orthodox  work  on  "  the 
Divme  Government,"  he  (Lord  Byron)  thus  spoke: 

"  I  cannot  decide  the  point;  but  to  my  present  apprehension,  it  would 
be  a  most  desirable  thing,  could  it  be  proved,  that  ultimately  all  created 
beings,  are  to  be  happy.  This  would  appear  to  be  most  consistent  with 
God,  whose  power  is  omnipotent  and  wliose  chief  attribute  is  love.  I 
cannot  yield  to  your  doctrine  of  the  eternal  duration  of  punishment. 
This  author's  (Southwood's)  opinion  is  moi-e  humane,  and  I  think  he  sup- 
ports it  very  strongly  from  Scripture."  — Moore's  Byron,  vol.  ii.  p.  470, 
New  York  edition- 

^  There  is  one  fiict  connected  with  this  sketch  of  the  history  of  Univer- 
salism  in  Scotland,  which  is  of  too  much  importance  to  be  passed  over. 
The  celebrated  Dr.  Macknight,  of  Edinburgh,  has  let  fall  an  expression  in 
one  of  his  works  which  brings  him  under  the  imputation  of  having  a  very 
weak  faith  in  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery.  When  arguing  for  the  per- 
petuity of  future  misery,  he  says,  "At  the  same  time,  I  must  be  so  can- lid 
as  to  acknowledge,  that  the  use  of  the  terms  eternal,  everlasting ,  forever , 
in  other  passages  of  Scripture,  shows  that  they  who  understand  these 
words  in  a  limited  sense  when  applied  to  punishment,  put  no  forced  inter- 
pretation on  them.  Allowing  that  eternal  punishments  are  really  meant 
in  the  threatenings  of  the  gospel,  no  man  can  deny  that  God  has  it  still  in 
his  power  to  mitigate  and  modify  his  threatenings  to  what  degree  infinite 
wisdom  sees  fit."  Truth  of  the  Gospel  History,  p.  138.  Universalist 
Tbeolog.  Mag.  vi.  301.  See  his  Com.  on  Rom.  v.  18,  19;  also  his  note  on 
2The8.'i.  9. 


A.  D.  1800.  UNIVERSALISM  IN  SCOTLAND.  341 

heart,  and  the  doubts  so  dreary  and  hopeless  to  his  wants, 
all  appear  to  have  fled  from  his  breast,  and  a  better  and 
more  cheering  belief  filled  their  room.  He  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  opinions  of  other  denominations  —  he 
readily  thought,  he  observed,  and  he  suffered  much — and 
it  is  little  wonder  that  so  clear  a  head  and  so  good  a  heart 
escaped  from  both  Calvinism  and  skepticism.  Such  ap- 
pears, from  his  many  epistles  on  religious  subjects,  to  have 
been  the  case.  1  have  often  thought,  in  reading  them, 
"  this  man  wanted  but  to  be  told  of  Universalism  and  its 
proofs,  and  he  would  have  embraced  it."  Many  of  his  re- 
marks breathe  so  full  a  spirit  of  Universalism,  that  I 
thought  he  must  have  seen,  as  it  were,  a  faint  ray  of  man- 
kind's glorious  destiny,  and  stood  waiting  and  longing  to 
catch  another,  that  he  might  believe  it  without  fear  of 
delusion.  Little  did  I  then  know  that  he  did  believe  it — ■ 
that  Scotia's  greatest,  favorite  bard,  was  a  Universalist. 
True,  he  was  a  trembling  believer  —  one  whose  feelings, 
rather  than  his  judgment,  were  convinced — but  he  hoped 
in  it,  and  it  was  to  him  somewhat  like  light  shining  in  dark- 
ness and  the  darkness  comprehending  it  not.  But  it  was 
known  that  he  thus  hoped,  by  his  friends.  Allan  Cunning- 
ham, the  son  (I  believe)  of  the  intimate  friend  of  our  bard, 
and  himself  the  poet's  biographer,  and  editor  of  a  new  and 
elegant  edition  of  his  works  —  Mr.  Cunningham,  "in  his 
Biographical  and  Critical  History  of  the  last  Fifty  Years," 
says  of  Robert  Burns,  "To  a  love  of  human  nature,  he 
added  an  affection  for  the  flowers  of  the  valley — the  fowls 
of  the  air  —  the  beasts  of  the  field  ;  he  acknowledged  the 
tie  of  social  sympathy  which  bound  his  heart  to  all  created 
things,  and  carried  his  universal  good  will  so  far,  as  to  entertain 

hopes    of  UNIVERSAL   REDEMPTION,    and    the   RESTORATION    of   the 

DOOMED  SPIRITS  to  power  and  lustre.^' 

It  can  hardly  be  possible  that  this  clear,  strong,  expres- 
sive language  was  used  to  mean  any  thing  else  than  its 
plain  and  most  apparent  meaning  —  nor  can  it  be  possible 


342  UNTVERSALISM  IN   SCOTLAND.  A.  D.  1800.] 

that  Mr.  Cunningham  would  so  deliberately  state  as  un- 
doubted fact,  what  was  not  such  in  reality.  And  if  not, 
then  was  Robert  Burns,  Scotland's  and  the  heart's  dearest 
poet,  a  believer  in  universal  salvation. 

MRS.    A.    COBURN. 

IX.  Mrs.  Alison  Cockbum  —  pronounced  Coburn — was 
a  lady  of  great  social  eminence  in  Scotland.  She  was  the 
friend  of  Walter  Scott,  David  Hume,  and  Henry  McKenzie. 
Lord  Lindsary  pronounced  her  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
Scottish  women  of  her  century,  and  Walter  Scott  says 
that  "  her  active  benevolence  kept  pace  with  her  genius j 
and  rendered  her  equally  an  object  of  love  and  admiration." 
To  one  of  her  correspondents  —  Lady  Anne  Barnard,  (the 
author  of  that  world-renowned  ballad,  "Auld  Rohin  Gray") 
— she  pens  the  following  explicit  avowal  of  the  sentiments 
that  made  her  what  she  was.  We  are  indebted  for  it,  and 
the  foregoing  facts,  to  Eev.  A.  G.  Laurie,  who  furnished  the 
Trumpet  and  Universalist  llagazine,  with  two  admirable 
articles  concerning  this  distinguished  woman.  Mrs.  Cock- 
burn  writes  : 

"My  dear  Lady  Anne :  Your  letter  I  found  to-night,  when  I  came 
from  a  long  tour  of  sick  people.  I  am  a  good  deal  fatigued  with 
seeing  much  distress,  though  I  was  much  comforted  with  seeing  Mrs. 
Scott.  She  is  really  recovering,  and  very  happy.  My  next  scene 
was  a  wife  that  is  not  sorry  that  her  mate  is  dying ;  she  is  really  low 
spirited,  but  not  grieved ;  grief  is  a  pleasure  for  an  object  of  worth, 
but  the  pangs  the  unworthy  give  to  worthy  minds  is  the  bitterness 
of  death.  Much  have  you  to  see,  much  to  deserve,  and,  alas !  much 
have  you  to  feel !  Look  at  it  early,"  (the  world,  she  means,)  "  as  a 
nursery  where  you  are  to  be  whipped  into  good  order,  and  a  perfect 
acquiescence  with  the  Divine  Will.  The  Almighty  Maker  of  Souls, 
has  various  methods  of  restoring  them  to  the  Divine  Image, — it  is 
impossible  His  power  can  fail ;  it  is  impossible  for  his  image  to  be 
eternally  obliterated ;  it  is  impossible  that  misery,  sin  and  discord 
can  be  eternal !  Look  then  on  the  erring  sons  of  men  as  on  wretch- 
ed prisoners,  bound  in  fetters  for  a  time,  but  recollect  that  they  are 
and  must  be  eternal  as  well  as  you,  and  that  in  the  endless  ayes  of 
Eternity  they  ivill  be  restored  to  order.  This  faith,  which  is  sincerely 
mine,  makes  me  see  things  in  very  different  lights  from  what  others 
do,  and  perhaps  is  the  key  to  my  whole  conduct.  Clean  and  unclean 
are  welcome  to  my  pity  ;  I  know  that  with  all  our  thousand  errors 
flesh  is  htir  to,  we  will  one  day  be  all  right." 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER  Vm. 
HISTOEY  OF    UNIVERSALISM    IN  WALES- 

I.  One  of  the  earliest  preachers  of  Universalism  in  Wales, 
was  Rev.  Thomas  Jones,  who  afterwards  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  of  America.  In  a  private  letter  to  the  author 
of  the  Modern  History,  written  in  1824,  he  mentioned  a 
Welsh  preacher,  older  in  years  than  himself  and  earlier  in 
the  profession  of  Universalism.  Mr.  Jones  saw  him  in 
1182  ;  and  his  account  of  him  is  as  follows  : 

"  The  name  of  the  man  in  question  was  Thomas  Sheen:  he 
had  been  a  travelling  preacher  in  the  Welch  connection  of 
Calvinistic  Methodists ;  but  when  I  saw  him  he  belonged 
to  no  connection,  but  preached  as  a  free  independent  man 
at  different  places  in  the  neighborhood  where  he  lived,  and 
travelled  some  in  the  adjacent  counties  and  preached.  For 
he  had  some  friends  and  hearers  who  adhered  to  him  and 
believed  his  doctrine. 

I  met  him  accidentally  (or  providentially)  at  a  farm  house, 
called  Penkerrig,  (about  15  miles  from  lady  Huntingdon's 
College,  where  I  was  then  a  student)  in  Brecknockshire, 
South  Wales ;  of  which  county,  I  think  Mr.  Sheen  was  a 
native.  When  I  saw  him,  he  appeared  to  be  about  sixty- 
eight  years  old,  but  in  good  health,  and  all  animation. 

He  spake  fluently  in  Welch  and  English ;  he  conversed 

343 


344  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSATJSM.     [Bookv.C.ix 

with  me  in  English.  He  was  the  first  Universalist  I  ever 
heard  talk  on  the  subject.  He  preached  publicly  the  sal- 
vation of  all  men.  He  was  called  an  Antinomian  by  the 
tongue  of  slander,  and  greatly  calumniated  by  his  former 
friends — both  ministei'S  and  people.  He  had  also  domestic 
trials.  I  have  heard  from  his  friends  that  he  was  a  very 
patient  man,  and  bore  all  things  that  befell  him  as  a  per- 
mission of  Providence  for  some  good  design.  I  was  told 
by  one  of  his  friends  in  the  year  A.  D.  1190,  that  he  died 
in  triumph  !  He  was  allowed  by  even  his  religious  ene- 
mies to  be  a  man  of  great  talents  and  reasoning.  I  can  say 
no  more  of  him,  for  I  never  saw  him  but  twice  after  the  first 
interview.  But  I  can  tell  you,  Brother  Whittemore,  that 
what  Mr.  Sheen  said  to  me,  (when  I  was  only  nineteen 
years  old,  when  I  first  saw  him,)  was  never  forgotten  by 
me  ;  and  though  I  did  not  believe  it,  I  often  thought  of  it. 
It  occurred  often  with  force.  I  was  afraid  it  was  error.  1 
shut  the  door  oi  voluntary  thought  against  it  for  years.  But 
in  the  year  of  Christ  1188,  from  the  force  it  had  upon  me,  I 
received  it  as  the  truth  of  Grod — the  gospel  of  his  grace  by 
his  Son.  I  never  read  an  author  on  the  subject,  till  after  I 
became  a  believer." 

n.  Thus  far  concerning  Thomas  Sheen.  The  name  Univer- 
salism  is  but  little  known  in  Wales.  It  is  engrossed  with 
Unitarianism.  The  Unitarians  probably  hold,  in  their 
hearts,  the  doctrine  of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men,  but 
not  much  is  said  on  that  great  doctrine  ;  it  is  not  held  dis- 
tinctively.    A  late  Welch  Unitarian  writes  as  follows  : 

"  No  church  in  Wales,  is  known  by  the  designation  '  Universalist.' 
Everyc  hurch  where  Universalism  is  taught,  is  either  Unitarian  or 
Arian.  Of  the  latter,  there  are  but  few,  now,  as  all  the  teachers  of 
that  sect  are  professed  Unitarians,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
illiterate  persons,  not  acknowledged  as  regular  ministers.  Those 
churches,  which  were  formerly  Arian,  are  known  also,  by  the  name 
of  Presbyterian,  and  by  that  name  they  are  recognized  in  the  Lon- 
don Board  of  Ministers^  &c.  Yet,  they  differ  widely  from  the  Scotch 
and  American  Presbyterians  of  the  old  and  new  school.     They  are 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN  WALES.  345 

all  believers  in  universal  restoration  ;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  I 
rank  them  with  the  Universalists. 

In  order  to  give  you  as  fair  an  outline  as  possible,  I  hereby  pre- 
sent you  with  the  following  table.  Those  marked  with  a  star,  are 
professed  Unitarians,  the  rest  have  been  Arians. 

[Here  follows  a  table  giving  the  names  of  twenty-five  churches, 
thirteen  of  which  are  designated  as  Unitarian.  The  remainder  are 
or  have  been  Arian.  The  table  also  gives  the  number  of  Members 
and  Hearers  as  far  as  known, — the  former  at  about  1000,  and  the 
latter  at  about  3000.  The  number  of  Ministers  with  their  names 
are  also  given,  as  far  as  known,  and  amount  to  fifteen.] 

There  are  a  few  preachers  besides  the  above,  who  are  merely 
^assistants.  I  do  not  recollect  their  names,  with  the  exception  of  one 
— Rev.  Arthur 'Williams,  a  superanuated,  respectable  assistant  min- 
ister. There  is  a  College  in  Carmarthen,  called  the  Presbyterian 
College,  in  which  a  few  clever  and  promising  Unitarians  are  educat- 
ed. Two  Welch  Universalists,  the  Rev.  J.  Evans  and  the  Rev.  D. 
Evans,  are  at  present  ministers  in  England.  I  have  but  little  more 
to  say  on  the  subject,  save  that  Universalism  in  spite  of  all  the 
opposition  from  a  host  of  other  sects,  is  rapidly  on  the  increase. 
Had  there  been  as  much  honesty  in  all  the  churches,  as  has  been  dis- 
played in  the  Unitarian  church,  a  greater  increase  would  have  been 
the  result.  I  found  the  ministers  of  the  churches  in  which  I  was 
ordained,  very  much  opposed  to  Universal  Restoration,  and  indeed 
I  was  myself  not  much  better.  When  I  found  out  the  truth,  and 
was  convinced  that  if  God  willed  the  salvation  of  all  he  would  save 
all,  I  openly  preached  it,  and  though  many  left  me  and  the  church, 
I  succeeded  in  persuading  them  all  of  the  truth  of  that  doctrine.  I 
rejoice  in  it.  1  am  not  ashamed  to  make  a  boast  of  it.  Let  any  one 
contridict  it  if  he  can.  There  are  still  in  Wales  the  most  unflinch- 
ing and  faithful  advocates  of  that  doctrine ;  among  whom  may  be 
noticed  in  particular,  the  Rev.  John  James,  of  Gellionnen. 
I  am,  sir,  respectfully  yours, 

Thomas  Grifiiths,  Welch  Unitarian. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER   IX. 
HISTOEY  OF    UNrVEKSALISM    IN    THE  GEEEK    CHUECH. 

I.  Universalism  prevails  in  the  Lutheran  Church  of  Ger- 
many ;  is  found  among  the  Reformed  Protestant  churches 
of  France ;  in  the  English  Church  ;  and  among  the  Dissen- 
ters of  Great  Britain.  The  Roman  Catholic  church  is  sup- 
posed to  exclude  it  altogether.  But  that  it  exists  in  the 
ancient  and  immense  communion,  called  the  Greek  Church, 
will  appear  from  the  extracts  which  we  here  subjoin. 

Our  authority  is  a  work  published,  1816,  at  Stuttgard  in 
Germany,  entitled,  "  Considerations  sur  la  Doctrine  et 
I'Esprit  de  I'Eglise  Orthodoxe.  Par  Alexandre  de  Stourd- 
za,"  8vo.  pp.  218.  Of  its  author,  Stourdza,  we  have  been 
able  to  obtain  no  other  account  than  that  he  is,  or  was, 
Counsellor  of  State,  to  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  His  book 
is  an  exposition  of  the  doctrine  and  practice  of  the  Greek 
Church,  contrasted  with  those  of  the  Roman  Catholic  ;  the 
whole  intended  to  show  the  excellence  of  the  former,  and 
the  error  of  the  latter.  In  the  introduction,  he  informs  us 
that  he  wrote  it  to  guard  those  who  went  to  dwell  at  St. 
Petersburg,  against  certain  errors  that  lurked  there  ;  mean- 
ing the  Roman  Catholic,  which  had  crept  in,  by  means,  pro- 
bably, of  emigrants  and  visitors  from  the  South.     He  says 

34^ 


348  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.    [Bookv.C.ix. 

"  Evil  IS  a  corrosive  ulcer  which  exists  only  negatively.  It  will 
cease  when  there  shall  be  no  more  victims.  How  ?  That  is  the 
secret  of  the  eternal  God. 

Note.  The  Scripture  points  us  to  that  epoch,  but  very  mysteri- 
ously, as  if  beyond  our  reach.  It  is  designated  by  the  expression, 
And  Ood  shall  be  all  in  all. 

Before  disputing  boldly,  then,  upon  the  eternity  of  pains,  and 
interpreting  arbitrarily  certain  passages  of  the  gospel,  which  can 
never  be  conclusive,  on  account  of  the  imperfection  of  all  human 
language,  which  is  framed  on  the  relative  ideas  of  time  and  space, 
— it  would  first  be  requisite  to  know  what  is  the  duration  of  evil. 
But  to  attempt  to  penetrate  that,  would  be  sacrilege,  as  we  have 
said  above.  It  only  remains,  then,  for  us  to  admire  the  wise  course 
pursued  by  our  church,  which  does  not  comment  upon  a  doctrine 
that  cannot  be  measured  by  our  intelligence.  The  Church  of  the 
West,  [i.  e.  the  Roman  Catholic,]  unhappily  has  not  observed  the 
same  religious  caution,  and  has  seemed  to  blush  at  such  a  holy  and 
reverential  reserve.  Impatient  to  possess  and  to  inculcate  positive 
ideas  on  a  subject  concerning  which  we  cannot  have  positive  ones, 
since  it  does  not  rest  on  terrestrial  principles, — she  has  cherished 
andproclaimed  the  ambitious  doctrine  of  expiations  by  the  fire  of 
purgatory."  pp.  60-64. 

Little  has  hitherto  appeared  among  us,  of  the  existence 
of  Universalism  in  the  present  Greek  Church.  How  far  it 
now  prevails  in  that  communion,  we  cannot  say ;  but  it  is 
evident,  from  the  above  extract,  that  Stourdza  means  to 
involve  the  church,  to  a  considerable  extent  at  least,  in  the 
opinion  that  there  is  no  other  perpetuity  of  pains  than  the 
continuance  of  suffering  for  the  unknown  period  in  which 
evil  endures ;  that  evil  itself  will  at  length  cease,  in  some 
way  not  explained  to  us ;  and  that  the  Scripture  points  us, 
though  very  mysteriously,  to  the  epoch  when  it  shall  be 
finished,  and  God  become  all  in  all.' 

^  See  Universalist  Expositor,  vol.  vi.  p.  411.  Trumpet  and  Universalist 
Magazine,  vol.  ix-  p.  80. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER  X. 
JEWS.   BELIEVERS  OF  UNIVERSAL  HAPPINESS. 

I.  Rumor  began  to  prevail  in  this  country  some  twenty 
years  ago,  that  the  Jews  generally  rejected  the  doctrine  of 
endless  torture,  and  embraced  that  of  the  final  happiness  of 
all  men.  It  is  a  peculiar  spectacle  to  see  those  who  do  not 
entertain  the  hope  of  the  gospel,  holding  to  that  glorious 
doctrine,  on  the  strength  of  the  Old  Testament  alone.  Rev. 
James  Shrigley,  who  resided  some  years  since  in  Baltimore, 
once  received  a  call  from  a  Jewish  Rabbi,  the  particulars 
of  which  he  described  in  the  following  manner : 

"  The  Rabbi  called  at  my  house,  and  in  a  friendly  manner 
commenced  inquiries  in  regard  to  the  belief  of  Universal- 
ists  and  other  denominations  of  professing  Christians.  He 
had  not  been  in  this  country  long  and  could  not  well  un- 
derstand English,  except  in  private  conversation.  He  said 
he  had  been  to  hear  a  Methodist  preach,  and  if  he  had 
understood  the  preacher  correctly,  be  stated  that  the  pun- 
ishment of  the  wicked  would  be  without  end ;  but  he  could 
not  believe  they  entertained  such  an  idea  in  this  enlighten- 
ed country,  and  desired  to  know  if  it  was  indeed  so.  On 
receiving  an  aflSrmative  answer,  he  was  greatly  surprised. 
I  informed  him  it  was  the  general  opinion,  that  the  Jews 
believed  in  endless  torments;  he  replied,  "It  is  done  to 
Blander  us — what  will  the  Christians  say  of  us  next  ?     Do 

349 


350  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.     IBooky.Cx. 

they  think  we  have  not  sense  enough  to  know  that  such  a 
punishment  would  be  very  unjust — that  it  could  not  be  ac- 
cording to  works  ?  The  Bible  does  not  teach  us  such  a 
doctrine." 

I  inquired  if  it  were  not  true  that  the  Pharisees,  an 
ancient  sect  of  the  Jews,  believed  it.  He  replied,  "  They 
did,  one  part  of  them — they  borrowed  it  from  the  heathen  ; 
but  the  true  descendants  of  Moses  never  believed  in  tor- 
ments without  end." 

1  asked  him  if  he  would  allow  me  to  state  publicly  that 
he  did  not  believe  the  doctrine  in  question.  He  replied, 
"  Yes,  there  is  not  an  intelligent  Jew  in  the  city  who  be- 
lieves in  endless  torments.  It  would  be  very  unjust  in  God 
to  punish  a  man  to  all  eternity  I  " 

So  far  Mr.  Shrigley.  The  above  facts  are  worthy  of  deep 
consideration.  The  Jews  do  not  believe  in  Endless  Pun- 
ishment ;  they  aver  that  the  Old  Testament  does  not  teach 
that  doctrine  ;  and  they  think  it  strange,  if  the  New  Testa- 
ment be  "th^  BETTER  covenant,"  that  so  cruel  a  doctrine 
should  have  its  origin  there. 

11.  The  fact  here  communicated  by  Mr.  S.  seems  fully 
confirmed  bj  the  following  extract  from  a  work  published  in 
London,  in  1744.  It  was  a  correspondence  between  cer. 
tain  Jews  scattered  abroad,  on  various  subjects,  in  which, 
among  others,  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment  came 
up.  The  following  is  deeply  worthy  the  consideration  of 
the  candid  reader :  ^ 

Some  time  ago,  dear  Isaac,  I  gave  thee  my  opinion  concerning 
the  notion  that  all  people  are  damned,  who  have  not  the  good  fortune 
to  be  born  within  the  pale  of  Israel.  I  confessed  to  thee  that  1 
could  not  believe  that  an  infinite  number  of  good  people,  who  have 
in  their  religion  conformed  to  the  precepts  of  the  soundest  morality, 
who  have  obeyed  the  internal  legislator,  that  is  to  say,  the  dictates 
of  their  conscience,  and  the  impressions  of  natural  reason,  could  be 
damned.  I  founded  my  opinion  on  the  goodness  and  justice  of  God, 
to  the  very  essence  of  Mhich  attributes,  the  everlasting  misery  of 
innocent  creatures  is  directly  contrary.  I  frankly  declare  to  thee 
that  upon  this  goodness,  and  this  same  justice  I  would  gladly  estab- 
lish a  second  principle,  viz.,  that  the   pains  of  the  damned  will  not 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVERSALISM   AMONG   THE   JEWS.  351 

be  eternal ;  and  that  after  a  certain  number  of  ages,  the  souls  con- 
demned to  the  torments  of  the  darnned,  will  be  cleansed  and  purified 
from  their  sins,  by  the  pains  which  they  have  endured. 

How  can  it  be  conceived  that  God  should  condemn  millions  of 
creatures  to  everlasting  misery  ?  For  by  admitting  that  man,  who 
had  the  free-will  of  committing  good  or  evil,  has  given  occasion  to 
the  Deity  to  punish  him  eternally,  and  that  justice  being  a  quality 
as  essential  to  the  Supreme  Being  as  goodness,  the  everlasting  pun- 
ishment of  the  damned  were  a  just  punishment,  it  does  not  clear  up 
the  difficulty  in  question,  because  God  having  it  at  his  option  to 
purge  men  from  transgression  by  temporary  pains,  it  is  to  be  sup- 
posed that  he  ought  to  choose  the  latter.  The  notion  which  I  have 
of  clemency  (a  notion  which  I  could  not  be  mistaken  in  entertain- 
ing, because  it  is  conformable  to  the  light  of  nature,  and  comes  to 
roe  from  God),  evidently  convincing  me  that  it  is  unjust,  when  it  is 
possible  to  put  an  end  to  the  torments  of  an  unhappy  person,  to 
prolong  them  eternally  without  a  lawful  cause.  Now  there  is  none 
at  all  for  the  rendering  damnation  eternal.  I  would  fain  ask  the 
Jewish,  Nazarene  and  Mahometan  doctors,  who  ai-e  alike  positive  in 
the  point  of  the  eternal  misery  of  creatures,  whether  God  could  not, 
if  he  thought  fit,  order  it  so  that  the  pains  which  souls  suffer  after 
the  destruction  of  the  body,  should  render  them  pure  and  worthy  to 
come  into  his  presence.  There  is  no  Divine,  I  believe,  of  any  relig- 
ion whatsoever,  that  will  dare  to  make  answer,  that  the  Almighty 
cannot  blot  out  the  stains  of  a  soul,  be  they  ever  so  deep.  Let  such 
a  one  be  who  or  what  he  will,  he  must  be  deemed  either  an  Atheist, 
who  sets  limits  to  the  power  of  the  Deity,  and  who  by  consequence 
would  gladly  annihilate  it ;  or  an  idiot  who  has  not  the  least  notion 
of  sound  philosophy,  or  even  of  the  general  ideas  of  order.  Now 
putting  the  case  that  the  punishment  which  a  man  suffers,  though 
ever  so  much  deserved,  does  not  render  him  a  jot  the  more  virtuous, 
and  that  at  the  same  time  it  is  in  the  power  of  another  to  infiict 
lesser  penance  upon  him,  which  shall  restore  him  to  his  innocence 
and  give  him  a  hatred  of  vice  ;  I  would  know  of  the  divines,  what 
ought  to  be  done  in  such  a  case,  and  what  would  be  the  dictate  of 
clemency  ?  Every  man  in  his  senses  cannot  help  confessing,  that 
the  latter  method  ought  to  be  preferred.  Now  since  it  is  in  the 
power  of  God  to  put  an  end  to  the  pains  of  the  damned,  and  since 
he  can  render  those  pains,  useful  and  advantageous  to  them,  why 
should  anybody  think  that  he  renders  them  everlasting  and  unavaila- 
ble, and  that  he  should  do  ill,  when  it  is  in  his  power  to  do  good  ? 
Is  it  not  an  absurdity  to  maintain  and  believe,  that  sovereign  justice 
can  be  for  injustice  ? 

But  some  will  say,  you  judge  of  the  attributes  of  the  infinite 
Being,  by  those  of  finite  creatures.  You  are  for  diving  to  the  very 
bottom  of  God's  clemency,  and  can  have  no  idea  of  it.  This  objec- 
tion is  false,  and  is  the  very  basis  and  foundation  of  all  the  ab!^urdi- 
ties  of  the  schools.  For  I  grant  that  I  can  have  no  entire  and  per- 
fect idea  of  the  celestial  clemency.  But  the  notion  I  have  of  it  is 
not  a  wrong  and  fallacious  one,  because  it  is  agreeable  to  reason, 
which  being  the  only  light  that  the  divinity  has  granted  for  my  con- 


352  MODERN  HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  y.  Ch.  x. 

duct,  cannot  mislead  me.  If  things  which  pass  with  men  for  the 
most  just  and  equitable,  are  unjust  in  the  sight  of  God,  there  is  an 
end  of  all  certainty,  and  all  is  confusion.  What  will  be  deemed 
virtue,  may  be  vice ;  we  shall  entertain  no  notion  suitable  to  the 
attributes  of  the  supreme  Being,  and  it  must  be  said  that  we  have 
no  idea  of  him  consistent  with  those  which  we  are  furnished  with  by 
the  light  of  nature.  For  as  soon  as  it  is  granted  that  the  same 
notions  which  I  entertain  of  goodness  and  clemency,  may  be  ascrib- 
ed to  the  goodness  and  clemency  of  heaven,  I  shall  from  thence, 
therefore,  plainly  conclude,  that  nothing  whatsoever,  repugnant  to 
those  ideas,  can  have  existence  in  the  attributes  of  God.  Now  I  am 
clearly  convinced,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  invisible  wisdom  to  in- 
flict everlasting  and  unavailable  punishments,  when  they  may  be 
rendered  short  and  useful.  Surely,  therefore,  God,  in  whose  power 
it  was  to  render  the  torments  of  the  damned  useful  and  temporary, 
could  not  choose  to  render  them  everlasting  and  useless,  because 
God,  being  sovereignly  wise,  always  acts  conformably  to  wisdom. 

Our  sacred  books  assure  us,  dear  Isaac,  in  several  places,  that  God 
will  not  always  chide,  nor  will  he  keep  his  anger  forever.  Why, 
therefore,  should  cruelty  bo  ascribed  to  him,  which  is  a  principle 
directly  contrary  to  his  essence?  If  any  expressions  in  Scripture 
seem  to  favor  the  notion  of  everlasting  damnation,  it  is  where  a 
meaning  is  put  upon  them  which  they  do  not  carry,  and  where 
they  are  not  interpreted  as  they  ought.  Into  what  absurdities 
should  we  not  fall,  were  we  to  explain  all  the  passages  of  the  Bible 
literally? 

The  Nazarene  doctors  who  establish  their  opinion  of  everlasting 
punishment  on  the  precise  terms  of  their  sacred  books,  have  no  bet- 
ter foundation  for  it  than  our  Rabbis  have  ;  for  they  own  that  some- 
times the  literal  sense  of  certain  expressions  must  not  be  adhered 
to.  Why  then  don't  they  interpret  those  words  of  everlasting  fire, 
and  endless  torments,  in  such  a  manner  as  does  not  hurt  the  idea  we 
have  of  the  Divine  mercy?  To  this  they  answer,  that  the  justice 
of  God  is  an  attribute  which  is  as  essential  to  his  being  as  his 
mercy,  and  that  his  justice  demands  the  punishment  of  faults.  But 
this  answer  is  another  evasion  :  For  as  his  justice  is  capable  of  being 
satisfied  by  a  temporary  punishment,  it  ought  not  to  demand  an 
everlasting  one.  And  the  question  again  recurs  to  this  point,  viz., 
whether  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  God,  that  the  most  enormous, 
sins  should  be  expiated  by  temporary  torments  ?  Undoubtedly  he 
that  is  Almighty  had  it  in  his  power ;  and  therefore  he  has  so  order- 
ed it,  because  he  always  does  what  is  best,  most  charitable,  most 
mild,  moat  merciful  ;  and  because  it  is  more  agreeable  to  clemency 
and  mercy  to  inflict  temporary  punishments,  than  such  as  should 
never  have  an  end." ' 

*  Seethe  work  entitled,  "The  Jewish  Spy,"  being  a  philosophical, 
historical  and  critical  correspondence  by  letters,  which  lately  passed  be- 
tween certain  Jews  in  Turkey,  Italy,  France,"  &c.  Translated  from  the 
original  into  French  by  the  Marquis  D'Argens,  and  now  done  into  Eng- 
lish, 2d  edition,  London,  1744.  The  extract  above  given  is  from  Letter 
XLIU. 


BOOK    V. 

CHAPTER  XI. 
HISTOEY    OF  UNIVERSALISM 'IN   SWEDEN. 

I.  The  doctrine  of  the  final  happiness  of  all  men  has  been 
preached  in  Sweden,  We  find  this  fact  fully  verified  by  a 
publication  made  by  Eev.  I.  D.  Williamson,  D.  D.,  in  1860. 
Dr.  W.'s  letter  was  written  from  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  was 
addressed  to  the  editor  of  the  "  Star  in  the  West."  The 
Dr.  said : 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  this  city,  I  had  an  introduction  to  a 
Swedish  gentleman,  who  has  since  been  an  attentive,  and  apparently 
most  happy  listener  to  my  preaching.  Yesterday,  he  called  on  me, 
and  gave  me  the  following  account  of  himself. 

He  was  born  in  Sweden,  and  received  a  good  education.  At  the 
age  of  about  twenty  years,  his  attention  was  turned,  with  deep  in- 
terest to  the  subject  of  religion.  To  use  his  own  language,  he  felt 
that  "  his  soul  was  sick,  and  needed  to  be  healed."  He  applied  to 
his  minister,  but  obtained  no  aid  or  relief.  He  then  turned  his 
attention  to  the  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Alone  and  unaided, 
he  perused  the  word  of  God,  and  prayed  for  the  light  of  truth,  and 
the  result  was,  a  full  conviction  of  the  "  restitution  of  all  things." 
This  blessed  truth  he  could  not  conceal,  and  he  accordingly  com- 
menced proclaiming  it  to  his  neighbors  and  friends.  The  more  he 
preached,  the  more  they  desired  to  hear,  and  large  congregations 
often  listened  to  the  word.  So  gladly  did  the  people  hear  the  good 
tidings,  that  on  one  occasion,  at  an  evening  meeting,  they  would  not 
leave  the  house,  but  giving  him  intervals  for  rest,  while  they  sung, 
they  kept  him  talking  until  morning.  No  "  small  stir,"  was  made, 
and  the  regular  clergy,  after  having  in  vain  endeavored  to  silence 
him  by  argument,  appealed  to  the  arm  of  the  law.     He  was  arrested 

353 


354  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  C.  xi, 

on  a  charge  of  preaching  doctrines  subversive  of  religion,  and  cast 
into  prison  where  he  remained  eleven  months. 

During  this  time  he  was  six  times  arraigned  before  the  court ;  and 
declining  to  employ  counsel,  plead  his  own  cause.  His  defence  was 
that  he  preached  nothing  but  what  he  found  in  the  word  of  God, 
and  this  he  was  allowed  to  show  at  length.  He  informed  me  that 
through  all  his  defence,  he  planted  himself  upon  those  two  positions. 
1.  God  is  one  and  undivided.  2.  God  is  Love.  These  he  sustained 
by  the  clearest  testimonies  of  the  word.  From  the  first  position, 
he  dealt  his  blows  at  the  doctrine  of  vicarious  atonement  and  kin- 
dred errors  ;  and  from  the  second  he  argued  the  reconciliation  of  all 
things  ;  inasmuch  as  it  was  impossible  that  Infinite  Love  should  cast 
off  forever,  or  doom  any  being  to  endless  torments.  The  court 
heard  with  astonishment,  and  remanded  him  to  prison  ;  being  unable 
to  determine  what  was  their  duty,  in  regard  to  this  new  doctrine. 
A  commissioner  from  the  crown  was  appointed  to  examine.  He  was 
an  old  man  of  seventy  years  who  listened  to  his  arguments  for  some 
time  and  then  said,  sir,  if  we  talk  much  longer,  I  shall  believe  as  you  do. 
His  case  was  then  referred  to  the  Bishop,  and  before  him  and  fifteen 
clergymen,  he  had  an  opportunity  to  speak  for  himself.  The  result 
was  that  after  eleven  months  of  imprisonment,  he  was  set  at  liberty 
and  received  from  the  crown  a  license  to  travel  and  preach  where 
ever  he  pleased.  Here  his  legal  troubles  ended,  but  not  so  his  other 
anr.oyances  and  persecutions.  Those  who  attached  themselves  to 
him  Avere  continually  arrested,  and  imprisoned,  and  though  he  could 
obtain  their  release  by  exhibiting  his  license,  and  making  oath  that 
their  religion  was  the  same  as  his  ;  yet  such  was  the  difficulty  and 
trouble  in  which  he  involved  others,  that  he  determined  to  leave  his 
native  land,  and  go  where  the  law  could  not  interfere  with  a  free  ex- 
pression of  opinion. 

He  came  accordingly  to  this  country,  and  has  been  for  a  short 
time  in  this  city.  Recently,  a  friend  invited  him  to  our  church,  and 
then,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  and  to  his  great  surprise  and  joy, 
he  heard  that  doctrine  preached,  which  he  had  long  loved,  so  well, 
and  for  which  he  had  suffered  so  much.  To  him,  it  was,  as  cool 
water  to  the  thirsty  soul ;  and  eagerly  did  he  drink  in  the  word. 
He  called  on  me,  saying,  in  his  broken  English,  "  My  heart  is  so  full 
that  I  could  not  wait  longer."  Very  recently,  he  has  been  called  to 
drink  the  cup  of  affliction  in  the  death  of  his  wife.  "  My  heavenly 
Father,  said  he,  has  called  me  to  pass  through  a  dark  place,  in  tak- 
ing from  me  my  blessed  wife.  He  has  left  me  alone  ;  but  not  com- 
fortless, for  I  know  it  is  his  will,  and  what  he  does  is  best." 

He  is  a  man  of  fine  intellect,  and  more  than  ordinary  intelligence. 
His  religious  feelings  seem  deep  and  ardent ;  and  his  conscience 
tender,  and  quick,  in  a  remarkable  degree.  He  has  read  many  re- 
ligious books  ;  but  not  one  word  in  advocacy  and  defence  of  Univer- 
salism,  except  the  Bible;  and  to  this  day  has  drawn  all  his  ideas  of 
that  doctrine  from  the  oracles  of  divine  truth.  He  regrets  much 
that  he  cannot  speak  upon  the  subject,  in  public,  except  in  his  native 
tongue  which  there  are  few  in  this  country  to  understand. 


A.  D.  1800.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN  SWEDEN.  355 

I  have  been  greatly  interested  in  the  man  ;  and  have  written  this 
outline  of  his  experience,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect  it,  as  it  came 
from  his  lips.  Aside  from  this,  however,  there  are  one  or  two  les- 
sons taught,  that  are  worthy  of  being  remembered.  We  have  here 
some  evidence,  that  when  a  man  goes  to  the  Bible  with  an  unpre- 
judiced mind,  for  the  purpose  of  learning  what  it  teaches,  he  is  very 
apt  to  find  Universalism  there.  Here  is  a  man  who  never  heard  of 
Universalism,  nor  had  the  remotest  hint  that  such  a  sentiment  had 
an  advocate  on  earth.  He  sat  down  to  the  careful  and  prayerful 
perusal  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  to  his  great  joy,  he  finds  here 
the  glorious  tidings  of  the  "  restitution  of  all  things."  Will  those 
who  so  roundly  assert,  that  Universalism  is  utterly  destitute  of  sup- 
port from  the  Scriptures,  inform  us  how  this  man  happened  to  find 
it  in  a  Bible  printed  in  the  Swedish  tongue. 

Again,  this  shows  us  how  gladly  the  men  of  every  nation  will 
listen,  and  how  eagerly  they  will  embrace  the  doctrine  of  the  resti- 
tution, when  left  to  follow  the  generous  impulses  of  their  souls.  So 
rich,  and  so  new,  were  the  truths  proclaimed  by  our  friend  that  the 
people  hung  with  rapture  upon  his  words  from  evening  to  the  dawn 
of  morning. 

I  notice  one  more  fact,  as  somewhat  significant,  Lutheranism  is 
the  established  religion  of  Sweden  ;  and  non-conformity  to  that,  is 
an  offence  cognizable  by  law.  But  an  attempt  to  convict  a  Univer- 
salist  under  the  law,  failed.  The  bishop  and  the  court  decided,  and 
the  king  himself  issued  the  decree  that  a  Universalist  might  freely 
preach  in  Sweden  without  "  let  or  hindrance."  Mark  that,  among 
the  signs  of  the  times. 


BOOK    V. 


CHAPTER    Xn. 
PRINCE    MUSKAU,    A    UNIVERSALIST. 

I.  We  scarcely  know  where  to  place  this  excellent  Prince. 
The  great  and  good  Goethe  calls  him  "  a  perfect  and  ex- 
perienced man  of  the  world,  endowed  with  taleiits,  and 
with  a  quick  apprehension,  formed  by  a  varied  social  ex- 
istence, by  travel  and  extensive  connections  ;  likewise  a 
thorough,  liberal-minded  German,  versed  in  literature  and 
art." 

That  this  distinguished  Prince  was  a  Universalist,  we 
have  the  clearest  evidence,  from  several  passages  in  his 
"  Tour  in  England,  Ireland  and  France  J  ^  In  some  philosoph" 
ical  lucubrations  on  the  education  of  conscience,  the 
state  of  man  on  the  earth,  and  the  consequences  of  death, 
he  reasons  thus :  "  May  it  not,  then,  be  the  last  and  highest 
act  of  mercy  and  eternal  love,  to  have  appointed  death  as 
a  means  of  wiping  out  the  confused  and  blotted  scrawl, 
and  restoring  the  troubled,  misguided  soul  to  the  condition 
of  a  pure  white  sheet,  ready  for  happier  trials  ?  All-loving 
justice  punishes  not  as  weak  man  punishes,"  &c.  p.  121, 

^While  in  Ireland,  Prince  Muskau,  encountered  a  lady  of 
high  birth,  and  her  daughter,  who  were  in  a  fierce  contro- 
versy about  the  "judgment  day,^''  which  they  agreed  must 
be  near  at  hand.  The  question  was,  whether  at  this  final 
catastrophe  men  were  to  be  immediately  Judged  and  then 

357 


358  MODERN    HISTORY   OP  UNIVERSALISM.    [Book  v.  C.  xii. 

huf-nt,  or  first  burnt  and  then  judged.  The  daughter  said  it 
was  clear  that  the  world  could  not  be  burnt  till  all  were 
judged.  The  mother  declared  this  was  perfect  "  wowse7?se  " 
—that  men  must  first  die  before  they  could  receive  their 
eternal  destinies.  She  therefore  insisted,  "  first  hurnt  and 
\hQXijudgedJ^  "  At  length,"  says  Prince,  "both  appealed 
to  me.  I  ventured  to  reply  that  I  really  was  not  much 
skilled  in  these  details,  and  that  their  dispute  appeared  to 
me  very  like  that  in  which  Madame  du  Defiant  was  called 
upon  to  decide,  viz.,  whether  St.  Denis  had  walked  one  mile 
without  his  head.  That  I  must  confess  that  in  the  doc- 
trines of  Christ  I  had  always  chiefiy  sought  to  imbibe  rules 
of  duty,  confidence  in  God,  meekness  and  love  to  man. 
That  I  believed  whatever  God  did  was  perfectly  done.  ] 
must  confess  that  I  considered  myself  just  as  much  in  the 
hand  of  God,  and  just  as  near  his  power,  in  the  present 
life,  as  after  the  close  of  my  earthly  career.  The  judgment 
was  in  my  opinion  forever  going  on,  and  was  eternally 
active  as  the  spirit  which  creates  and  vivifies  the  universe." 
p.  450. 

We  must  have  one  more  extract.  In  conversation  with 
an  English  divine,  he  says,  "I  do  not,  therefore,  contest 
your  miracles,  nor  your  symbols ;  I  contest  only  certain 
other  things,  which  many  of  you  teach,  and  which  are 
equally  incomprehensible  to  the  understanding  and  repug- 
nant to  the  heart ;  for  instance,  a  God  more  partial  than 
the  frailest  man ;  infinite  torments  appointed  by  infinite 
love,  for  finite  sins  ;  such  things  can  be  possible  only  when 
two  and  two  make  five,  and  no  superstition  can  approach 
the  insanity  of  such  a  belief."  p.  141. 


BOOK      V. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM   IN  DENMARK. 

HANS    CHRISTIAN    ANDERSON. 

I.  This  distinguished  Danish  poet  and  scholar,  wliose 
writings  are  the  delight  of  Denmark,  is  not  generally- 
known  as  a  Universalist.  Yet  in  his  Autobiography  he 
apprises  his  readers  of  the  fact.  On  p.  215  of  the  "  True 
Story  of  my  Life,"  he  says,  — 

"  Yet  is  it  not  so  hard  as  people  deem 

To  see  their  souls'  beloved  from  them  riven; 
God  has  their  dear  ones,  and  in  death  they  seem 
To  form  a  bridge  which  leads  them  up  to  heaven." 

Again,  on  p.  296,  he  says,  "  My  whole  life,  the  bright  as 
well  as  the  gloomy  days,  led  to  the  best.  It  is  like  a  voy- 
age to  some  known  point  —  I  stand  at  the  rudder,  I  have 
chosen  my  path — but  God  rules  the  storm  and  the  sea. 
He  may  direct  it  otherwise  ;  and  then  happen  what  may, 
it  will  be  the  best  for  me.  This  faith  is  firmly  planted  in  my 
h'east  and  makes  me  happy.  ^^ 

He  declares,  p.  T*?, —  "  /  received  gladly,  both  with  feeling 
and  understanding,  the  doctrine,  that  God  is  love ;  everything 
which  opposes  this  —  a  burning  hell,  therefore,  whose  fire 
ENDUKBTH  FOREVER — I could  uot  recognizcJ' 

369 


BOOK      V. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
HISTOET  OF   UNIVERSALISM    IN  NEW    SOTJTH    WALES. 

I.  As  early  as  1850,  the  Universalist  papers  of  the  United 
States  had  proclaimed  that  there  was  a  movement  in  favor 
of  Universalism  among  the  best  citizens  of  New  South 
Wales. 

It  seema  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Saunders,  at  first  a  Baptist 
clergyman  at  Sydney,  afterward  preached  the  doctrine  of  a 
world's  salvation.  He  is  described  as  a  man  of  vast  be- 
nevolence, and  of  great  talents.  The  intelligence  was 
communicated  to  the  "Universalist  Union,"  by  a  gentleman 
of  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  who  received  it  directly  from  New  South 
Wales.     The  following  is  the  account : 

Mr.  John  Chubbuck,  now  a  resident  of  Lockport,  recently  return- 
ed from  the  islands  of  New  Holland  and  New  Zealand,  where  he 
resided  for  several  years  as  a  state  and  missionary  printer.  Mr.  C. 
i8  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  although  a  recent  convert  to 
Universalism. 

II.  During  his  residence  at  Sydney  or  Port  Jackson,  in  New  Hol- 
land, he  became  an  attendant  upon  the  Baptist  Church,  under  the 
pastorship  of  Rev.  J.  Saunders,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  educated  at 
Oxford.  He  is  represented  as  a  man  of  unusual  talents  and  attain- 
ments, being  the  greatest  orator  and  scholar,  and  commanding  the 
most  popular  audience  in  the  city  of  Sydney.  At  his  own  expense, 
after  his  arrival  at  New  Holland,  he  built  a  fine  meeting-house, 
established  a  school  of  arts,  gave  lectures  himself,  and  opened  a  free 
library  for  the  general  benefit,  and  formed  an  institution  for  the 
defence  and  education  of  the  poor.  The  influence  he  excited  was 
wide  and  beneficent,  and  his  unbounded  liberality  and  benevolence 
elicited  universal  confidence,  respect  and  admiration. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Saunders  is  described  as  a  lady  of  superior  ex- 

361 


362  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.       [Book  v.  C.  xiv. 

cellence,  and  possessing  a  mind  entirely  congenial  with  that  of  Mr. 
S.  himself.  Charity  seems  the  whole  object  of  her  being,  and  much 
of  her  time  is  spent  in  visiting,  relieving  and  condoling  with  the 
sick,  the  poor  and  the  unfortunate.  Her  mission  is  like  that  of  an 
angel  of  mercy,  on  that  dark  and  benighted  isle,  dispensing  glad 
news  and  welcome  blessings.  She  has  endeared  herself  to  all  who 
know  her  for  her  heavenly  charities,  and  is  respected  for  her  intelli- 
gence. 

Mr.  Saunders  had  been  laboring  as  a  Baptist  minister  in  Sydney 
about  ten  years,  up  to  1842.  But  his  preaching  was  of  a  character 
too  exalted  ever  to  admit  of  the  too  common  topics  of  wrath  and 
endless  damnation.  He  usually  dwelt  upon  the  sublimer  views  of 
the  divine  government,  and  savored  much  of  Universalism,  until  his 
mind  at  last  become  intently  fixed  upon  a  closer  examination  of  the 
subject.  The  result  of  his  labors  was  an  entire  renunciation  of  the 
doctrine  of  endless  misery  and  a  cordial  reception  of  the  doctrine  of 
impartial  benevolence.  This  was  sometime  in  the  year,  1842.  He 
gave  no  notice  of  his  recantation,  but  having  fully  matured  the  sub- 
ject in  his  own  mind,  prepared  a  discourse  to  be  delivered  on  a  Sun- 
day afternoon.  In  the  morning  he  preached  from  the  text,  "  God  is 
love,"  and  carried  the  hearts  and  minds  of  his  audience  out  into  the 
illimitable  ocean  of  divine  beneficence,  as  if  to  prepare  them  for  the 
glorious  intelligence  he  was  about  to  communicate. 

The  afternoon  came,  and  he  took  for  his  text,  "  Not  willing  that 
any  should  perish,"  S:c.  He  opened  the  theme  in  a  most  impressive 
style,  and  as  he  launched  out,  the  fire  of  his  eloquence  warmed  up 
and  thrilled  upon  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  He  bore  them  along 
with  irresistible  evidence,  and  riveted  their  attention  with  deep  in- 
terest. He  preached  with  that  holy  enthusiasm  which  kept  his 
auditors  in  perpetual  intensity.  The  effect  of  his  renunciation,  after 
the  first  pause  of  interest  was  over,  was  electric.  Most  of  his  church 
and  congregation  had  been  so  unconsciously  led  along  by  his  usual 
labors  that  they  readily  united  with  him  in  the  new  public  position 
he  had  assumed. 

The  secular  and  the  orthodox  papers  of  Sydney,  visited  Mr,  S. 
and  his  doctrine  with  all  manner  of  abuse  and  misrepresentation. 
The  intelligence  reaching  England,  Mr.  S.  was  excommunicated  by 
the  English  Baptist  Church,  and  was  compelled  to  give  up  his  gown. 
But  the  best  part  of  his  people  adhered  to  him,  and  maintained  an 
independent  church.  Yet  the  moral  character  of  Mr.  S.,  and  all 
that  he  had  done  for  his  fellow  citizens  did  not  spare  him  from  the 
darkest  calumnies  and  the  grossest  misrepresentations.  His  senti- 
ments were  so  foully  distorted,  that  he  was  at  last  compelled  to  pub- 
lish his  discourse  in  his  own  defence.  This  produced  a  calm  of  the 
clamoi-ous  uproar,  and  no  answer  was  attempted.  Some  of  the 
clergy  were  eager  for  controversy  and  sanguine  of  their  ability  to 
silence  Mr.  S.  But  he  met  them  coolly,  in  the  spirit  of  his  Master, 
and  they  were  ready  to  abandon  the  field  of  argument  and  evidence 
after  the  first  trial,  until  comparative  peace  was  restored  and  the 
new  "  sect  every  where  spoken  against "  was  permitted  to  go  on  in 
harmony. 


BOOK     VI. 

mSTOBT  OF  imiVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND. 

I.  At  the  close  of  our  fourth  Book,  we  had  brought  the 
History  of  Universalism  in  England,  up  to  the  middle  of 
the  18th  century.  (1750.)  There  we  availed  ourself  of  the 
opportunity  to  introduce  an  account  of  the  prevalence  of 
that  doctrine  in  other  countries,  so  far  as  we  had  been  able 
to  trace  it ;  and  having,  in  the  fifth  Book,  finished  what  we 
have  to  say  on  those  parts  of  the  subject,  we  resume  again 
the  History  as  it  relates  to  England. 

II.  We  have  now  approached  a  period  in  which  Univer- 
Balism  prevailed  to  a  very  great  extent,  finding  patrons 
among  the  obscure  and  the  well  known,  the  unlearned  and 
the  literati ;  indeed  some  of  almost  every  sect  seem  to 
have  united  their  efforts  to  illustrate  and  defend  this  cheer- 
ing doctrine.  On  the  one  hand  we  see  the  ardent  believer, 
whose  bosom  is  warmed  into  action  by  his  faith,  but  whose 
timidity  renders  him  unable  to  meet  the  anticipated  odium, 
sending  forth  his  anonymous  publications  to  convince 
others  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  he  himself  has  not  the 
courage  to  avow  ;  on  the  other  we  see  the  bolder  and  more 
successful  defender,  adding  to  the  force  of  his  arguments 
the  authority  of  his  learning,  his  ofiice,  and  his  name. 
Here  the  divine,  with  gravity,  with  moderation,  and  with 

368 


364  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSATJSM.  [Book  7i. 

great  firmness,  asserts  the  reality  of  God's  universal  love 
and  the  salvation  of  all  men,  and  enforces  from  such  doc- 
trines the  most  fervent  piety  to  God,  and  the  most  unre- 
stricted benevolence  to  man  ;  there  the  man  of  letters,  the 
pride  and  accomplishment  of  his  age,  lends  the  vivacity  of 
his  genius,  the  strength  of  his  attainments,  and  the  elegance 
of  his  diction,  to  the  illustration  and  support  of  the  same 
sentiment.  At  one  time  our  attention  is  arrested  by  the 
visionary  who,  with  a  fervid  imagination  and  transported 
heart,  seizes  the  enrapturing  theme,  and  expatiates  till  he 
is  lost  in  the  delirium  of  joy ;  at  another  we  see  the 
cool  philosopher,  who,  commencing  the  examination 
of  the  doctrine  with  doubt,  at  last  arrives  at  faith  and 
certainty  ;  we  see  his  steady  soul  lifted  up  from  the 
world  by  the  influences  of  such  a  faith ;  he  lives  above 
terrestrial  things  in  a  higher  sphere ;  and  his  incontroverti- 
ble arguments,  like  the  fixed  stars,  shed  their  light  upon 
the  dark  world  below  Piety,  benevolence,  philosophy, 
wit  and  literature  assisted,  during  this  period,  in  the  de- 
fence of  Universalism.  Some  of  the  greatest  men  in  the 
established  church,  united  their  labors  with  those  equally 
great  among  the  dissenters.  Of  one  sect  at  least,  although 
not  bearing  the  name  of  Universalists,  it  became  a  principal 
tenet,  and  was  defended  by  the  greater  part  of  its  ablest 
men.  Such  is  a  general  view  of  the  character  and  circum- 
stances of  those  who  defended  Universalism  during  this 
period  ;  and  it  fully  sustains  the  following  passage  from 
the  pen  of  the  editor  of  the  Analytical  Review :  "  The 
doctrine  of  the  final  happiness  of  mankind,  which  presents 
the  prospect  of  the  termination  of  all  evil,  and  of  a  period 
in  which  the  deep  shades  of  misery  and  guilt  which  have 
so  long  enveloped  the  universe,  shall  be  forever  dispelled, 
is  so  pleasing  a  speculation  to  a  benevolent  mind,  that  we 
do  not  wonder  it  meets  with  so  many  advocates.  From  the 
earliest  period  we  doubt  not  the  belief  of  it  has  been 
secretly  entertained  by  many,  who  in  the  face  of  opposition 


A.  D.  1750.  UNIVERSALTSM   IN   ENGLAND.  3G5 

and  danger,  had  not  resolution  to  avow  it.  Now,  however, 
it  has  broke  through  every  restraint,  and  walks  abroad  in 
every  form  that  is  adapted  to  convince  the  philosophic,  to 
rouse  the  unthinking,  and  to  melt  the  tender." ' 

III.  To  arrange  a  mass  of  materials  possessing  so  great 
a  variety,  has  been  found  no  easy  task.  We  must,  in  some 
respects,  relinquish  the  regular  order  of  time,  preserving  it 
so  far  as  it  is  consistent  with  the  arrangement  of  the  sub- 
jects now  before  us  into  four  general  heads,  viz.  1.  The 
anonymous  defenders  of  Universalism.  2.  Those  who  may 
be  said  to  have  laid  down  the  principles  whence  it  flows, 
and  who  have  admitted  rather  than  defended  it.  3.  Those 
who  have  directly  and  elaborately  maintained  it.  And 
4.  The  English  Unitarians,  nearly  all  of  whose  principal 
men  have  defended  that  sentiment.''  It  should  be  premised, 
however,  that  it  will  be  impossible,  in  the  limits  which  we 
have  prescribed  ourself,  to  give  of  every  Universalist  a 
distinct  account,  neither  can  we  speak  much  in  detail.  No 
man  ever  felt  more  keenly  than  we  do  in  this  place,  the 
want  of  the  power  of  abridgement. 

IV.  "An  Essay  on  the  Divine  Paternity,  or  God  the 
Father  of  Men,"  was  one  of  the  works  in  which  Universal- 
ism was  defended.  The  author  is  to  us  utterly  unknown. 
The  work  came  out  in  September,  1'I41.  Having  in  several 
sections  stated  the  true  and  proper  relation  which  the  Deity 
bears  to  mankind,  he  draws  from  his  subject,  under  the 
form  of  corollaries,  several  speculative  and  practical  truths, 
as  follows.     He  says  : 

"  3.  The  final  destrvjction  and  misery  of  any  of  the  offspring 
of  God  must  he  highly  ungrateful  to  him."     "  His  character,  re- 

*  Analyticfil  Review,  Dec.  1788,  vol.  ii.  450. 

'  To  these  the  Necessarians,  as  a  fiftli  class,  might  he  added,  but  as  those 
who  were  ('hristians,  and  who  held  to  the  salvation  of  all  men,  are  gener- 
ally included  among  the  Unitarians,  we  pass  them  over  without  any  fur- 
ther notice. 


366  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  vl. 

lation,  interest  and  concern  in  mankind,  absolutely  forbid 
us  to  think  that  any  are  hated  of  him,  from  the  first  mo- 
ment of  their  existence  ;  or  that  he  (the  Father  of  mercies 
and  God  of  all  comfort)  can  behold  with  satisfaction  and 
pleasure,  the  final  miscarriage  and  everlasting  tortures  of 
his  offspring;  the  dens  oilions,  and  nursenes  of  wolves  know 
no  such  cruelty  as  this." 

"  4.  If  there  be  a  possibility  of  preventing  the  final  misery 
and  destruction  of  any  of  mankind,  by  reclaiming  them  from 
their  degeneracy,  there  is  a  sufficient  reason,  from,  the  nature 
of  that  relation  they  bear  to  God,  to  think  that  he  will  do  it." 
"  We  must  remember  that  with  God  all  things  are  possible. 
He  has  knowledge,  wisdom  and  power,  as  well  as  goodness 
and  love  ;  and  what  implies  not  a  contradiction,  he  can 
effect."  "  As  for  the  words  eterncd  and  everlasting  in  Scrip- 
ture, they  are  well  known  to  signify  such  a  duration  only 
as  is  proper  to  the  subject  spoken  of— -as  the  land  of  Canaan 
for  an  everlasting  possession,  the  everlasting  mountains, 
&c. 

The  Gentleman's  Magazine  (vol.  xiv.  56)  mentions  a  book 
that  came  out  in  January,  1H4,  "  All  men  to  be  finally 
saved."  It  was  a  small  work.  We  have  no  knowledge 
who  was  the  author. 

"  The  Free  Will  Offering  or  the  Love  of  God,  recorded  in 
the  Redemption  of  all  Mankind,  through  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  appeared  in  London,  1741. 

The  work  commences,  under  this  title,  "  The  Benefits 
which  are  to  be  recorded  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  he  is  ofiered 
to  be  the  Saviour  of  all  mankind." 

"  As  by  the  offence  of  one,  judgment  came  upon  all  men 
to  condemnation  ;  even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one,  the 
free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life." 

"  The  mercy  and  infinite  goodness  of  God  has  chosen 
all  mankind  to  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ,  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  Now  this  eternal  decree  took  place 
upon  the  fall  of  Adam  ;  and  as  he  was  admitted  into  the 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVEESALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  367 

terms  of  Christian  salvation  immediately  after  his  trans- 
gression, so  all  mankind  as  being  in  his  loins,  were  taken 
into  the  same  covenant  of  grace."  pp.  1,  2,  This  work  con- 
tains large  extracts  from  Wm.  Law. 

Another  work  appeared  soon  after,  entitled,  "  A  Speci- 
men of  True  Theology."  The  work  was  anonymous.  The 
object  was  to  establish  the  doctrine  of  Universal  Salvation. 
The  argument  is  rested  on  the  testimony  of  the  Scriptures, 
viewed  in  the  light  of  "  that  most  certain  test  of  all  re- 
ligious truth,  namely,  the  unity  and  concord  of  all  God's 
attributes." ' 

The  work  mentioned  in  the  preceding  chapter,  Le  del 
ouvert  a  tons  les  Hommes,^  was  the  occasion  of  a  brief  con- 
troversy about  1160.  A  few  years  before  this  (i.  e.  in 
1H3)  it  had  been  translated  and  republished  in  England, 
and  met  with  the  approbation  of  many,  particularly  of  a 
person  who  published  the  "  Layman's  Letter  to  his  friend 
in  the  Country,"  which,  in  defence  of  the  work,  attempted 
to  show  that  the  author  admitted  a  punishment  after  death. 
Several  works  appeared  on  both  sides^  evincing  the  interest 
which  the  public  felt  on  the  subject.^  A  second  edition  of 
this  work  was  published  in  October,  1*166,  and  was  recom- 
mended by  the  editors  of  the  Critical  Review,  as  "  a  benevo- 
lent and  sensible  production,  well  calculated  to  prevent  the 
minds  of  weak  and  ignorant,  though  pious  and  well  mean- 
ing persons,  from  being  plunged  into  the  horrors  of  despair, 
by  the  pernicious  doctrines  of  some  modern  enthusiasts." 

^  The  whole  title  was,  A  Specimen  of  True  Theology,  or  Bible  Divinity; 
in  whicli  the  Benefits  of  Christ's  Redemption  [are]  made  known,  fairly 
and  plainly  from  the  Holy  Sci-iptures  alone,"  &c.  London,  1758.  pp. 
176,  8vo. 

'•*  That  is  "  Heaven  open  to  all  men." 

3  The  work  "  Heaven  open  to  all  men,"  created  no  little  attention,  and 
drew  out  the  following  works : 

In  1752.  "  A  Candid  Examination  of  that  celebrated  piece  of  Sophistry 
entitled,  "  Heaven  open  to  all  men."  "This  small  piece  "  (says  the 
Monthly  Review)  "  is  written  with  great  modesty."  Review,  volume  vi. 
313. 

In  1753.    A  short  answer  to  a  Treatise,  entitled  "  Heaven  open  to  all 


368  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIYERSALISM.  [Book  vl. 

The  writer  of  this  last  review  says,  that  "  Heaven  open 
to  all  men,"  was  reprinted  with  alterations  from  a  noted 
pamphlet,  which  first  made  its  appearance  about  twenty 
years  ago.' 

The  leading  object  of  this  treatise  (Cuppe's)  is  to  prove 
that  "  All  men  shall  be  saved."  He  proves  this  from  the 
Scriptures  and  especially  from  the  5th  chapter  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Eomans.  He  proves  it  also  from  reason. 
"  Eight  reason,"  he  says,  "teaches  us  that  God  will  save 
all  men,  in  general  and  in  particular ;  "  only  Anti-Christ  is 
to  be  destroyed.  Several  of  the  last  chapters  of  the  work 
are  devoted  to  answering  objections.  He  did  not  under- 
stand the  system  of  Uuiversalism  well.  Evidently  he  had 
read  nothing  on  the  subject  except  the  Bible  ;  and  he  had 
also  employed  upon  it  his  deepest  thoughts.  He  found,  as 
he  believed,  a  great  truth,  which  had  been  hidden  from 
ages  and  generations.  He  says,  in  closing,  "God  will 
separate  us  from  the  old  man,  to  place  us  in  his  kingdom  ; 
where,  without  excepting  one  single  man,  he  will  be,  as 
St.  Paul  says,  All  in  All.  Disconsolate  Nature  finds  in  this 
treatise  a  treasure  that  was  lost,  —  HEAVEN  OPEN  TO 
ALL  MEN.  A  verity  that  for  ages  has  lain  hid !  At 
length,  it  is  found.  Men  and  angels,  sing  to  the  Eternal,  im- 
mortal praises."  Mr.  Cuppe  evidently  supposed  he  was  the 
discoverer  of  the  doctrine  ;  and  that  he  was  the  first  to  make 
it  known  to  the  world,  although  it  had  been  known  to  the 
church  from  the  time  of  Clemens  Alexandrinus  and  Origen, 
and  even  from  that  of  the  apostles. 

Simultaneously  with  the  controversy  just  mentioned, 
appeared  a  work  in  favor  of  Universalism,  entitled  "The 
Great  Love  and  Tenderness  of  God  to  his  Creature  Man ; 
or  the  Scripture  account  of  the  Redemption,  Conversion 
and  Salvation  of  all  mankind."^     It  appeared  about  1753. 

men."    By  Vincent  Perronct,  A.  M.,  Vicar  of  Shoreham,  in  Kent,  and 
chaplain  to  the  Right  Hon.  Earl  Stanhope. 

'The  reprint  was  in  1766. 

2  The  whole  title  was,  "  The  great  love  and  tenderness  of  God  to  hia 


A.  D.  1750.^  UNIVEESALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  369 

"  I  have  for  many  years,"  says  the  author,  "  been  of  opin- 
ion, that  the  most  terrifying  and  amazing  doctrine  of  the 
future  torments  of  the  wicked,  being  strictly  and  properly 
eternal,  could  no  where  be  proved*from  the  gracious  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  so  full  of  the  glad  tidings  of  mercy  and 
peace  ;  no,  nor  from  any  one  text  or  passage  of  holy  writ, 
in  its  true  and  genuine  sense.  And  this  opinion  has  been 
greatly  strengthed  by  a  frequent  searching,  studying,  com- 
paring and  meditating  on  the  holy  Scriptures."  He  was 
conversant  also  with  the  books  which  had  been  written  in 
favor  of  Universalism,  particularly  the  second  volume  of 
Miss  Huber's  "  World  Unmasked,"  and  the  work  of  which 
•we  have  just  spoken,  "  Heaven  open  to  all  men." 

He  held  to  the  future  punishment  of  those  who  died  im- 
penitent, which  might  extend  to  a  very  long  duration  ;  but 
eventually  they  would  be  delivered  from  it,  and  admitted, 
not  to  full  and  perfect  bliss,  but  to  the  lowest  mansion  in 
the  kingdom  of  God.  Aside  from  the  peculiarities  of  his 
system,  he  reasons  judiciously,  and  with  great  candor  ex- 
amines the  objections  to  Universalism,  and  clearly  shows 
that  the  passages  of  Scripture  on  which  the  opposite  doc- 
trine has  been  based,  have  been  tortured  from  their  proper 
meaning.     He  was  evidently  a  man  of  learning. 

"A  Ehapsody  of  Free  Thoughts;  exhibiting  in  new 
light,  various  interesting  subjects."  8vo.  pp.  100.  This  is 
in  four  parts.  In  the  fourth  part  he  treats  of  the  duration 
of  hell  torments.     Speaking  of  1  Cor.  xv.  24,  28,  he  says  : 

"But  though  I  think,  that  this  passage  in  that  epistle, 


Creature  Man,  or  the  Scripture  account  of  the  redemption,  conyersion 
and  salvation  of  all  mankind.  "Wherein  is  discovered  that  the  torments 
of  the  wicked  must  have  an  ending;  that  every  individual  of  mankind  is 
already  redeemed  in  part;  so  that  the  rational  soul  or  spirit  of  every  sin- 
ner, after  suffering  in  proportion  to  his  deserts,  will  be  converted,  deliv- 
ered out  of  torment,  and  be  finally  saved  in  a  low  degree:  and  that  the 
•whole  man  of  the  righteous,  who  have  lived  a  virtuous  and  godly  life  will 
be  sanctified  wholly,  both  in  soul  and  in  body;  will  be  raised  a  glorious 
body;  and  be  abundantly  saved,  and  rewarded  at  the  last  day,  and  shall 
not  suffer  pain  after  death."  By  a  Searcher  after  Religious  Truth.  It 
■was  an  octavo  of  344  pages. 


370  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  IBook  yi. 

favors  the  opinion  thought  to  have  been  Origen's,  yet  it 
must  be  confessed,  that  it  is  not  probable,  that  it  was  the 
purpose  of  St.  Paxil's  writing  it,  to  have  inculcated  this 
opinion ;  but  I  hold  it  might  be,  and  believe  it  was  impress- 
ed in  the  fervor  of  his  own  ideas  and  delivered  by  his  pen, 
(that  generation  perhaps  inattentive  to  the  consequences) 
and  so  scattered,  to  become  a  light  to  those  in  ages  then 
to  come,  who  more  intent  upon  the  attribute  of  mercy,  than 
that  of  justice,  should  search  those  divine  oracles,  for  argu- 
ments to  prove  to  themselves  and  to  others,  that  it  is  an 
internal  truth,  that  the  mercy  of  God  is  over  all  his 
works."  ' 

VI.  Among  the  authors  who  have  admitted  the  doctrine 
of  Universalism,  and  laid  down  the  principles  from  which 
it  flows,  we  may  reckon  the  well  known  William  Law,  author 
of  the  Serious  Call ;  Dr.  Steed, ^  Wm.  Duncombe,  a  writer 
of  eminence  ;  Soame  Jenyns  ;  Henry  Brooke,  in  the  Fool 
of  Quality  ;  Dr.  Kippis  ;  the  Monthly  and  Critical  Review- 

1  See  Monthly  Review  for  April,  1751,  vol.  iv.  pp.  423. 

*  Rev.,  John  Tyler,  in  his  work  entitled  "  Universal  Damnation  and 
Salvation,"  (written  and  published  many  years  ago,  but  we  quote  from  an 
edition  published  by  T.  Bedlington,  Boston,  1826,)  speaks  of  a  reverend 
divine  of  the  church  of  England  as  follows: 

Dr.  Steed,  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  who  died  a  few 
years  ago,  and  was  greatly  admired  as  a  preacher,  in  most  parts  of  Eng- 
land, styled  by  late  writers,  the  ingenious  Dr.  Steed,  in  a  sermon  which 
he  delivered  in  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  Church  in  London,  speaking  upon 
the  Redemption,  has  these  words: 

"0«?'  Saviour  laid  doion  his  life  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world;  he 
came,  that  as  in  Adam  all  die,  so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive ;  that 
as  by  one  man^s  disobedience  many,  the  many,  or  mankind  in  general, 
were  made  sinners,  treated  as  such,  and  made  subject  to  death,  the  wages 
of  sin;  so  by  the  obedience  of  one  many  were  made  righteous." 

Again,  speaking  of  Christ,  says  he, 

"  The  sphere  of  his  beneficence  extended  backwards  to  the  foundation  of 
the  world,  and  reaches  forward  to  the  last  conflagration ;  he  became  the 
Saviour  of  all  afies,  from  the  first  birth  of  time  to  its  last  period — the 
Father  of  mankind,  from  the  rising  of  the  sun,  to  the  going  down  of  the 
same.  The  blessings  of  his  coming  into  the  world  are  as  extensive  as 
the  world,  and  as  lasting  as  eternity."  Says  he,  "  Behold  the  Son  of 
God,  pouring  forth  his  blood,  as  well  as  prayers,  even  for  those  that  shed 
it;  beliold  liim  at  once  bearing  the  insults,  expiating  the  sins,  and  pro- 
curing happiness  for  mankind,  till  at  last  he  bows  his  sacred  head,  and 
shuts  up  the  solemn  scene,  with  these  short  but  comprehensive  words,  it 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  371 

ers  ;  the  celebrated  George  Walker ;  the  equally  celebrated 
Robert  Robinson ;  Archdeacon  Paley,  of  the  English 
Church  ;  Hey,  the  Cambridge  professor  of  divinity,  Letsone, 
the  philanthropist,  and  others. 

VII.  The  opinions  of  William  Law  underwent  a  con- 
siderable change  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life.  At  first  he 
was  not  a  Universalist ;  but  afterward  the  views  he  enter- 
tained were  these  :  "  that  all  the  attributes  of  the  Almighty 
are  only  modifications  of  his  love,  and  that  when,  in  Scrip- 
ture, his  wrath,  vengeance,  &c.,  are  spoken  of,  such  ex- 
pressions are  only  used  in  condescension  to  human  weak- 
ness, by  way  of  adapting  the  subject  of  the  mysterious 
workings  of  God's  providence  to  human  capacities.  He 
held,  therefore,  that  God  punishes  no  one.  All  evil,  ac- 
cording to  his  creed,  originates  either  from  matter,  or  from 

19  FINISHED — the  great,  the  stupendous  work  is  done.  The  universal 
sacrifice  which  shall  take  in  all  mankind,  and  which  all  mankind  shall 
contemplate  throughout  eternity  with  awful  joy  and  gratitude,  is  com- 
pleted; the  benefit  of  whose  actions  and  sufferings  reaches  to  all  ages,  all 
nations,  all  mankind.  Our  Saviour  was  a  person  born  for  the  whole 
world,  for  which  he  died,  a  blessing  to  all  mankind,  from  the  beginning 
of  time,  and  whom  all  mankind  shall  have  reason  to  bless,  when  time 
shall  be  no  more." 

You  may  depend  on  it,  that  these  words  were  preached  in  St.  Paul's 
church  in  London;  so  that  as  a  Church  Clergyman  I  am  not  teaching  a 
doctrine  which  is  contrary  to  what  is  or  ever  has  been  taught  by  all  the 
rest  of  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England.  I  do  not  know  that  1  ever 
said  anything  that  more  strongly  points  out  the  salvation  of  all  men,  than 
these  words  of  Dr.  Steed,  I  have  just  now  recited,  though  1  must  now  con- 
fess, that  in  some  other  passages  of  his  sermons,  he  says  what  seems  in- 
consistent with  those  passages  I  recited;  but  what  I  did  recite  he  no 
doubt  said.  But  I  am  supposed  to  diflFer  from  the  whole  body  of  the 
Christian  Church,  for  seventeen  hundred  years.  I  an.swer,  this  would  be 
a  melancholy  consideration  indeed,  if  it  were  true.  But  can  the  tradition 
of  the  whole  body  of  the  Christian  church,  make  void  the  gosi^el,  the 
everlasting  covenant  of  God's  peace?  but  then,  the  tradition  or  opinion 
of  the  Christian  church  pretty  universally  for  a  thousand  years  out  of 
this  seventeen  hundred,  has  been  in  favor  of  popery;  therefore,  if  the 
opinion  of  the  body  of  the  Christian  church  is  a  sure  proof  of  what  is 
the  true  meaning  of  Scripture,  then  surely  we  ought  all  to  become  Boman 
Catholics  immediately,  for  popery  has  the  opinion  of  the  whole  body  of 
the  church  pretty  universally  in  its  favor  for  ten  hundred  years,  and  the 
main  body  of  the  Christian  church  against  her,  for  no  more  than  about 
seven  hundred  years. 


372  MODEEN  HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvi. 

the  free  will  of  man  ;  and  if  there  be  suffering,  it  is  not 
that  God  wills  it  in  itself,  but  that  he  permits  it,  (for  the 
sake  of  a  greater  overbalance  of  good,  that  could  not 
otherwise  possibly  be  produced)  as  the  necessary  conse- 
quence of  the  existence  of  an  inert  instrument  like  Matter, 
and  the  imperfection  of  creatures  less  pure  than  himself. 
Upon  his  system,  all  bfeings  will  finally  be  happy.  He 
utterly  rejected  the  doctrine  of  the  Atonement,  as  held  by 
Calvinists,  and  ridiculed  the  supposition,  that  the  offended 
justice  of  the  One  Perfect  Supreme  Being  requires  any 
satisfaction.  His  theory  was,  that  man,  by  withdrawing 
himself  from  God,  had  lost  the  Divine  life  in  his  soul,  and 
that  all  communication  between  him  and  his  Maker  was 
nearly  lost.  In  order  to  remedy  this,  in  order  in  some 
mysterious  way  to  re-open  an  intercourse  between  the  Deity 
and  the  soul  of  man  ;  and  finally,  in  order  to  aftbrd  the 
soul  a  more  near,  and,  as  it  were,  sensible  perception  of  its 
Maker,  the  S&cond  Person  in  the  Trinity  became  man. 
Law  alleges  that  St.  Paul,  when  he  speaks  of  redemption, 
says,  God  was  in  Christ  reconcilivg  the  world  unto  himself. 
Now,  he  adds,  had  the  Almighty  required  an  atonement, 
the  reverse  of  this  proposition  would  have  been  the  truth, 
and  the  phrase  would  have  been  reconciling  himself  to  the 
world:'  1 

Still  more  satisfactory  testimony  on  this  point  may  be 
given  in  Law's  own  words.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  he  says, 
"  you  tell  me  that  you  cannot  help  thinking  with  Mr.  S." 
that  all  partial  systems  of  salvation  are  greatly  deroga- 
tory to  the  goodness  of  God,  but  that  you  would  say  this 
to  very  few  but  myself.  But,  dear  soul,  why  should  you 
say  this  to  me  ?  I  have,  without  any  scruple,  openly  de- 
clared to  all  the  world,  that  from  eternity  to  eternity  noth- 
ing  can  come  from  God   but  mere   infinite  love.     In  how 

'*  Southcy's  Life  of  Wesley,  New  York  edition,  vol.  i.  216. 
*  Stonehouse,  perhaps. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  373 

many  ways  have  I  proved  and  asserted,  that  there  neither 
is  nor  can  be  any  wrath  or  partiality  in  God  ;  but  that 
every  creature  must  have  all  that  happiness  which  the  in- 
finite love  and  power  of  God  can  help  it  to."  "  It  is  my 
capital  doctrine  that  God  is  all  love,  and  merely  a  will  to 
all  goodness  ;  that  he  must  eternally  will  that  to  the  crea- 
ture which  he  willed  at  his  creation."  "  As  for  the  purifi- 
cation of  all  human  nature,  I  fully  believe  it,  either  in  this 
world,  or  some  after  ages,  And  as  to  that  of  angels,  if  it 
is  possible,  I  am  glad  of  it,  and  also  sure  enough,  that  it 
will  then  come  to  pass."  ' 

As  a  preacher  among  the  dissenters,  Law  possessed  great 
influence ;  and  the  doctrines  he  believed,  were  powerfully 
enforced  by  the  meekness  and  sanctity  of  his  life,  and  by 
his  mild  and  inoffensive  manners.  Serenity,  gratitude  and 
happiness  were  the  constant  inmates  of  his  heart ;  and  all 
his  conversation,  his  preaching,  and  writing,  partook  of 
the  depth  of  his  emotions.  In  the  triumphs  of  faith,  and 
universally  esteemed,  he  died  in  1161. 

VIII.  Mr.  William  Buncombe,  a  man  of  letters,  and  a 
writer  of  considerable  eminence,  flourished  from  1130  until 
his  death  in  1169.  Among  his  friends  and  correspondents 
he  reckoned  Lord  Coke  and  Archbishop  Herring,  a  volume 
of  whose  sermons  he  edited.  He  was  the  author  of  a 
tragedy  entitled  Lucius  Junius  Brutus.  One  of  his  par- 
ticular correspondents  was  the  Rev.  Samuel  Say,  a  dissent- 
ing minister,  who  succeeded  Dr.  Calamy  at  Westminster. 
Say's  mind  had  a  strong  tendency  to  a  belief  of  Universal- 
ism,  though  he  never  fully  embraced  that  sentiment.     Ex- 


1  Law's  Collection  of  Letters,  London  edition,  1762.  Letter  xii.  pp. 
172-175.  His  principal  works  were  "  Christian  Perfection  "  and  "  Serious 
Call,"  works  prized  by  the  orthodox  to  the  present  day.  Southey  says  of 
them,  "  few  books  have  ever  made  so  many  religious  enthusiasts;  indeed 
the  youth  who  should  read  them  without  being  perilously  effected ,  must 
have  either  a  light  mind,  or  an  unusually  strong  one."  Life  of  Wesley, 
i.38. 


374  MODEEN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvi. 

pressing  his  queries  and  doubts  to  Mr.  Buncombe,  the  latter 
replied,  in  a  letter  dated  May  27,  1143,  as  follows  . 

"  Perhaps  all  those  natural  evils,  or  moral  obliquities,  of 
which  we  so  grievously  complain,  may  be  no  stronger  ob- 
jection to  the  rectitude  of  the  whole  system,  than  hills  and 
mountains  are  to  the  rotundity  of  the  globe ;  and  may 
answer  various  excellent  purposes,  though  we  are  too  short 
sighted  to  discover  them.  Vindictive  justice,  in  the  Deity, 
is,  I  own,  no  article  in  my  creed.  All  punishment  in  the 
hands  of  an  infinitely  wise  and  good  being,  1  think,  must 
be  medicinal,  and  what  we  call  chastisement."  "  What  St. 
Paul  speaks  more  directly  of  the  reconciliation  both  ot 
Jews  and  Gentiles  to  God,  1  am  willing  to  understand  in  a 
more  extensive  sense,  of  the  general  redemption  of  man- 
kind, at  the  consummation  of  all  things."  ^  He  then  quotes 
the  following  passage  from  Milton's  Mask  of  Comus,  as 
comprising,  in  his  view,  the  marrow  of  theology. 

"  Against  the  threats 
Of  malice,  or  of  sorcery,  or  that  power 
Which  erring  men  call  chance,  this  I  hold  firm. 
Virtue  may  be  assailed  but  never  hurt, 
Surpris'd  by  unjust  force  but  not  enthral'd; 
Yea,  even  that  which  mischief  meant  most  harm, 
Shall  in  the  happy  trial  prove  most  glory. 
But  evil  on  itself  shall  back  recoil. 
And  mix  no  more  with  goodness,  when  at  last 
Gather'd  like  scum  and  settled  to  itself. 
It  shall  be  in  eternal,  restless  change 
Self-fed  and  self-consum'd, — if  this  fail 
The  pillar'd  firmament  is  rottenness. 
And  earth's  base  built  on  stubble." 

IX.  Nearly  allied  to  Duncombe,  in  time,  in  feeling,  and 
in  sentiment,  we  may  place  the  renowned  philosopher  and 
metaphysician,   the    mild    and    beloved    moralist,    Soame 

*  Hughes'  Correspondence,  ii.  156.     Month.  Repos-  vii.  492. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIYERSALISM    IN    ENGLAND.  375 

Jenyns.  He  was  educated  at  St.  John's  College,  and  in 
1741,  was  elected  member  of  Parliament  for  Cambridge, 
which  he  represented  for  nearly  forty  years.  In  1755,'  he 
was  made  one  of  the  Lords  of  Trade,  and  continued  so 
until  the  abolition  of  the  board.  As  a  writer,  he  is  to  be 
prized  for  the  elegance  of  his  diction,  the  purity  of  his 
sentiments,  and  his  sparkling  humor.  To  the  cause  of 
Christianity  he  rendered  an  essential  service  by  his  Internal 
View  of  its  evidences,  a  work  which  the  highest  ecclesias- 
tics have  referred  to  and  quoted  with  a  freedom  that  shows 
the  high  estimation  in  which  they  held  it.  Jenyns  was  a 
Necessarian,  and  regarded  what  men  generally  call  evil  as 
a  component  part  of  the  great  system  of  things  ;  and  by 
the  eflects  he  attributed  to  it,  he  excluded  real  evil  from 
the  universe.  From  everything  known  by  this  name  he 
deduced  some  benevolent  end,  not  excepting  death  itself, 
which  he  looked  on  as  one  of  the  causes  of  happiness  to 
mankind.  "  Death,  the  last  and  most  dreadful  of  all  evils," 
says  he,  "is  so  far  from  being  an  evil,  that  it  is  the  infalli- 
ble cui-e  of  all  others. 

To  die  is  landing  on  some  silent  shore, 
Where  billows  never  beat,  nor  tempests  roar; 
Ere  well  we  feel  the  ft-iendly  stroke  'tis  o'er. — Garth. 

Abstracted  from  the  sickness  and  sufferings  usually  at- 
tending it,  death  is  no  more  than  the  expiration  of  that 
term  of  life  God  was  pleased  to  bestow  on  us,  without  any 
claim  or  merit  on  our  part.  But  was  it  an  evil  ever  so 
great,  it  could  not  be  remedied  but  by  one  much  greater, 
which  is  by  living  forever ;  bj  which  means  our  wicked- 
ness, unrestrained  by  the  prospects  of  a  future  state,  would 
grow  so  insupportable,  our  sufferings  so  intolerable  by  per- 
severance,  and  our  pleasures   so   tiresome   by  repetition, 

*  In  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  1753,  appeared  three  sermons  on  "  the 
necessity  for  and  the  nature  of  a  future  state  of  rewards  and  punishment," 
by  Thomas  Waterhouse,  lecturer  at  the  parish  church  of  St.  George,  the 
martyr.    He  defended  the  endless  duration  of  punishment. 


376  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.         [Book  vi. 

that  no  being  in  the  universe  could  be  so  completely  mis- 
erable as  a  species  of  immoi'tal  men.  We  have  therefore 
Do  reason  to  look  upon  death  as  an  evil,  or  to  fear  it  as  a 
punishment,  even  without  any  supposition  of  a  future  life  ; 
but  if  we  consider  it  as  a  passage  to  a  more  perfect  state, 
or  a  remove  only  in  an  eternal  succession  of  still  impi-ov- 
ing  states,  (for  which  we  have  the  strongest  reasons)  it 
will  then  appear  a  new  favor  from  the  divine  munificence  ; 
and  a  man  must  be  as  absurd  to  repine  at  dying,  as  a 
traveller  would  be,  who  proposed  to  himself  a  delightful 
tour  through  various  unknown  countries,  to  lament  that  he 
cannot  take  up  his  residence  at  the  first  dirty  inn  which  he 
baits  at  on  the  road.^ 

The  following  beautiful  extracts,  on  the  character  and 
purposes  of  Providence,  the  duty  and  interest  of  man, 
much  in  the  style  of  Pope's  Essay  on  man,  are  so  full  of 
truth,  happily  expressed,  that  they  deserve  to  be  written 
in  characters  of  gold : 

"  For  his  own  sake  no  duty  God  can  ask, 
The  common  welfare  is  our  only  task; 
For  this  sole  end  his  precepts,  kind  as  just, 
Forbid  intemperance,  murder,  theft  and  lust, 
With  every  act  injurious  totour  own 
Or  others  good,  for  such  are  crimes  alone; 
For  this  are  peace,  love,  charity,  enjoined, 
With  all  that  can  secure  and  bless  mankind. 
This  is  the  public  safety  Virtue's  cause, 
And  hajipiness  the  end  of  all  her  laws, 
For  such  by  nature  is  the  human  frame. 
Our  duty,  and  our  int'rest  are  the  same." 

"  How  little  they''  God's  counsels  comprehend. 

The  universal  parent,  guardian,  friend  ! 
Who  forming  by  degrees  to  bliss,  mankind. 
This  globe  our  sportive  nursery  assigned. 
Scarce  any  ill  to  human  life  belongs 
But  what  our  follies  cause,  or  mutual  wrongs, 
Or  if  some  stripes  from  Providence  we  feel. 
He  strikes  with  pity,  and  but  wounds  to  heal." 

'  Origin  of  Evil,  Boston  edition,  68 — 71. 
'  Puritanical  Divines. 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  377 

"  And  soon  as  e'er  these  mortal  pleasures  cloy, 
His  hand  shall  lead  us  to  sublimer  joy; 
Snatch  us  from  all  our  little  sorrows  here, 
Calm  every  grief,  and  dry  each  childish  tear; 
Waft  us  to  regions  of  eternal  peace , 
Where  bliss  and  virtue  grow  with  like  increase; 
From  strength  to  strength  our  souls  forever  guide. 
Through  wond'rous  scenes  of  being  yet  untried." 

"  Oh  could  mankind  but  make  these  truths  their  guide, 
And  force  the  helm  from  prejudice  and  pride. 
Were  once  these  maxims  fix'd,  that  God's  our  friend. 
Virtue  our  good,  and  happiness  our  end, 
How  soon  must  reason  o'er  the  world  prevail. 
And  error,  fraud  and  superstition  fail ! 
None  would  hereafter,  then,  with  groundless  fear. 
Describe  the  Almighty  cruel  and  severe, 
Predestinating  some  without  pretence 
To  Heav'n,  and  some  to  Hell  for  no  oifence; 
Inflicting  endless  pains  for  transient  crim«s. 
And  fav'ring  sects,  or  nations,  men,  or  climes." 

"None  would  fierce  zeal  for  piety  mistake. 
Or  malice  for  whatever  tenets  sake. 
Or  think  salvation  to  a  few  contin'd. 
And  Heav'n  too  narrow  to  contain  mankind!  "  ^ 

X.  The  excellent  character  and  pure  philanthropy  of 
Henry  Brooke,  render  him  an  ornament  to  any  class  of 
men  among  whose  names  his  may  be  enrolled.  He  was 
born  in  Ireland,  A.  D.  1706,  and  educated  at  Dublin  Col- 
lege ;  and  soon  removing  to  England  he  became  very  early 
in  life,  the  friend  and  favorite  of  Pope,  Swift,  and  other 
eminent  men.  Possessing  the  friendship  of  the  Lords  Lit- 
tleton and  Chatham,  he  was  introduced  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales ;  and  he  soon,  by  his  writings,  obtained  an  unbound- 
ed popularity  and  made  himself  opulent.  Driven  back  to 
Ireland  by  sickness,  he  became  too  strongly  attached  to 
the  scenes  of  his  youth,  to  be  drawn  again  to  England, 
even  by  the  most  earnest  entreaties  of  his  literary  friends. 

1  See  his  works,  London  edition  of  1790,  vol.  i. 


378  MODERN    HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvl. 

The  Fool  of  Quality,  a  fiction,  has  been  regarded  as  his 
principal  work.  He  breathed  into  it  his  expansive  piety 
and  good  will,  which  the  reader  will  find  penetrating  his 
own  heart,  as  he  contemplates  the  following  high-sounding 
strain. 

"  And  thus,  on  the  grand  and  final  consummation,  when 
every  will  shall  be  subdued  to  the  will  of  good  to  all,  our 
Jesus  will  take  in  hand  the  resigned  chordage  of  our  hearts ; 
he  will  tune  them  as  so  many  instruments,  and  will  touch 
them  with  the  finger  of  his  own  divine  feeling*.  Then 
shall  the  wisdom,  the  might,  and. the  goodness  of  our  God, 
become  the  wisdom,  might  and  goodness  of  all  his  intel- 
ligent creatures  ;  the  happiness  of  each  shall  multiply  and 
overflow,  in  the  wishes  and  participation  of  the  happiness 
of  all  ;  the  universe  shall  begin  to  sound  with  the  song  of 
congratulation  ;  and  all  voices  shall  break  forth  in  an  eter- 
Dal  hallelujah  of  praise,  transcending  praise,  and  glory, 
transcending  glory,  to  God  and  the  Lamb  I  There  shall  be 
no  lapse  thenceforward,  no  falling  away  forever  ;  But  God 
in  his  Christ,  and  Christ  in  his  redeemed,  shall  be  a  will 
and  a  wisdom,  and  an  action  and  a  mightiness,  and  a  good- 
ness and  a  graciousness,  and  a  glory  rising  on  glory,  and 
a  blessing  rising  on  blessedness,  through  an  ever-begin- 
ning to  a  never  ending  eternity."  ' 

^  Fool  of  Quality,  vol.  v.  The  -work  appeared,  1766.  The  author  died 
in  1783.  As  a  Christian,  he  was  inclined  to  the  Methodists,  but  believed 
unwaveringly  in  the  final  salvation  of  all  men.  An  edition  has  recently 
appeared  in  New  York  (ISSQ)  to  which  Rev.  Charles  Kingsley  wrote  a 
preface,  who  testifies  of  Brooke's  and  of  his  own  faith  in  the  Divine  Bene- 
volence and  of  its  final  triumph  in  all  souls.  The  Fool  of  Quality  origi- 
nally appeared  in  five  volumes.  It  caused  great  sensation  in  Eughuid, 
by  its  unique  character  and  its  literary  excellences.  The  celebrated  John 
■yVesley  was  so  impressed  by  it  that  he  prepared  an  abridgement,  which 
was  published  with  his  name  as  editor. 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  in  a  discourse  directed  against  the  fictions  of  his  day, 
makes  exception  of  a  few  writers  wliose  aim  wns,  under  the  guise  of  a 
novel,  "  to  correct  the  vicious  manners  of  the  age,  give  a  proper  bias  to 
the  understanding,  and  a  healthy  direction  to  the  tecliiigs  of  the  heart. 
....  At  the  head  of  these,  said   he,  for  pious  and  benevolent  feeling, 

stands  Henry  Brooke He  leads  you  directly  to  God,  the  fountain 

of  light,  life,  perfection  and  goodness."    When  the  Doctor  read  the  Fool 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVEESALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  379 


REV.    JOHN    HILDROP,    M.    A. 

XL  One  of  Hildrop's  works  was  entitled,  "  Free  Thoughts 
upon  the  Brute  Creation,  wherein  Father  Bougeant's  phil- 
osophical amusement,  &c.,  is  examined."  In  two  letters 
to  a  lady.  By  John  Hildrop,  M.  A.,  Rector  of  Warth,  near 
Rippon,  in  Yorkshire,  &c.     London,  1150. 

"  And  can  we  imagine  "  says  this  author  with  deep  in- 
terest, "that  this  violent,  this  unnatural  state  shall  last 
forever?  Is  the  state  of  the  whole  creation  so  deplorably 
miserable,  as  to  admit  of  no  remedy,  no  hope  of  deliver- 
ance ?  Shall  the  eternal  purposes  of  infinite  wisdom,  love 
and  power  be  entirely  defeated  by  the  malice  of  evil  spirits, 
and  the  infirmities  of  frail  creatures?  Is  not  this  imputing 
too  much  to  the  creature,  and  derogating  from  the  infinite 
wisdom,  goodness  and  power  of  the  Creator  ?  Is  not  this 
saying  in  eflect,  that  the  Almighty  Creator,  the  Father  of 
mercies,. and  the  God  of  all  compassion,  whose  mercies 
are  over  all  his  works,  is  either  unwilling  or  unable,  to 
effect  the  eternal  purposes  of  his  infinite  love  ?  that  the 
devil  is  more  powerful  to  destroy,  than  God  to  save  ?  And 
after  all,  what  difficulty  is  there  in  comprehending,  or  what 
possible  danger  in  asserting,  that  all  the  inferior  creation, 
that  fell  with  and  in  our  first  parents,  and  suffer  for  our 
transgression,  shall  at  last   be  restored  to  their  primitive 


of  Quality,  he  said  it  sometimes  made  him  laugh  and  sometimes  cry,  and 
sometimes  made  him  ready  to  go  upon  his  knees. 

A  late  writer  (Rev.  G.  L-  Demarest)  says,  it  is  remarkable  that  those 
distinguished  lights  of  the  Methodist  Church,  Mr.  Wesley  and  Dr.  Clarke, 
to  say  nothing  of  Dr.  Strickland,  their  successor  in  the  editorial  work,  did 
not  qualify  the  praises  of  Brooke's  novel,  by  animadversions  upon  his 
"heresy."  They  were  personal  acquaintances,  nay,  it  would  seem  inti- 
mate friends,  of  the  author.  They  knew  his  sentiments  regarding  the  final 
issue  of  the  Divine  government.  And  yet  they  did  not  excludehim  from 
the  Christian  name.  On  the  contrary  they  commend  his  "pious  and 
benevolent  feeling."  It  would  be  well  for  their  followers  at  the  present 
day  to  learn  somewhat  of  their  liberal  spirit;  and  to  know  that  believing 
and  speaking  of  the  Fatherly  disposition  of  God,  and  hoping  and  trusting 
firmly  in  his  Fatherly  gooduess,  does  not  necessarily  imply  an  un-Chris- 
tian  character. 


380  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Book  ri. 

happiness,  and  be  delivered  from  their  present  bondage  of 
corruption  into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God  ? 
****** 
"  And  this,  madam,  opens  to  us  a  new  sourse  of  wonder 
and  love,  worthy  the  most  serious  attention  of  a  rational 
and  religious  mind,  that  there  shall  be  a  universal  restitu- 
tion of  all  that  fell  by  Adam's  transgression ;  when  all  that 
was  lost  in  the  ^rsi  ^(?om  shall  be  renewed  m  the  second: 
that  there  shall  be  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  which 
shall  be  the  habitation  of  righteousness,  God  has  plainly 
and  abundantly  promised  hy  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets 
since  the  world  began.  Acts  iii.  19,  20,  21  ;  Is.  Ixv.  H  ; 
Ixvi.  22;  2  Pet.  iii.  13;  1  Cor.  xv.  21,  22;  Eev.  xxi.  1. 
Of  the  work  of  this  author,  see  pp.  139,  140,  141. 

XII.  With  Dr.  Andrew  Kippis  we  shall  associate  the 
editors  of  the  Monthly  and  Critical  Keviews,  works  whose 
wide  circulation  and  long  continuance  sufficiently  evince 
how  highly  they  were  prized  by  a  literary,  scientific  and 
religious  community.  Dr.  Kippis  was  a  dissenting  minis- 
ter, and  an  author  of  great  repute.  The  best  known  and 
most  valued  of  his  works  is  the  Biographia  Brittanica, 
biography  being  the  kind  of  writing  in  which  he  seems  to 
have  delighted.  He  wrote  the  life  of  Captain  Cook,  and 
of  Dr.  Lardner,  and  was  for  several  years  concerned  in  the 
Monthly  Eeview.  It  has  been  conjectured  by  some,  that, 
in  the  following  passage,  the  Dr.  intimates  his  hope  in  the 
final  salvation  of  all  men. 

Speaking  of  Lord  Shaftsbury,  he  says,  "  There  is  a  tra- 
dition, that  amidst  other  difficulties  which  occurred  to  him 
in  regard  to  the  truth  of  the  Christian  Revelation,  he  was 
startled  at  the  idea  of  its  containing  the  doctrine  of  the 
eternity  of  hell  torments ;  that  he  consulted  some  eminent 
churchmen  whether  the  New  Testament  positively  asserted 
that  doctrine  ;  and  that  upon  being  assured  that  it  did,  he 
declared  himself  incapable  of  assenting  to  a  system  of  re- 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  381 

ligion  which  maintained  a  tenet  so  repugnant  to  all  his 
views  of  the  benignity  of  the  great  Governor  of  the  Uni- 
verse.' 

"  If  his  Lordship  had  lived  in  the  present  day,  he  would 
have  found  a  number  of  divines  who  would  have  given  him 
quite  a  different  answer.  They  would  have  informed  him, 
that,  in  their  opinion,  Christianity  holds  out  no  doctrine  of 
so  dreadful  a  nature,  and  that  at  the  very  utmost,  it  only 
denounces  the  final  extinction  of  the  impenitently  wicked  ; 
so  that  such,  if  there  he  any  such,  who  after  all  shall  remain 
incorrigibly  corrupt  and  abandoned,  will,  at  length,  no 
longer  exist  in  the  creation  of  God."  ^ 

The  partiality  with  which  Uuiversalism  was  regarded  by 
the  conductors  of  the  Keview,  is  manifested  in  every  in- 
stance in  which  they  are  called  to  speak  on  the  subject.^ 
Are  they  reviewing  a  writer  who  defends  endless  misery? 
His  theme  to  them  is  revolting ;  and  how  much  praise 
soever  th.ey  bestow  on  his  intentions,  his  character,  or 
style,  they  find  nothing  congenial  to  their  own  dispositions 


*  Here  we  have  an  instance  of  the  prejudice  which  has  been  excited 
against  Christianity,  by  the  erroneous  supposition  that  it  inculcates  the 
doctrine  of  endless  pains.  How  strong  a  refutation  is  this  of  the  trite 
objection,  that  Uuiversalism  leads  men  to  infidelity,  Deism  and  atheism. 
Universalism  alone  takes  away  from  unbelievers  the  objections  they  urge 
against  the  holy  system  of  Jesus,  founded  on  the  supposed  cruelty  of  the 
punishments  it  denounces;  this  alone  crowns  the  purpose  of  God  with  a 
glory  which  is  worthy  of  infinite  wisdom  and  love;  and  it  holds  out 
Christianity  in  the  form  best  calculated  to  recommend  it  tomen  of  benevo- 
lent feeling  and  good  sense. 

2  Biograph.  Brittan.  London,  1789.  Article.  Cooper,  third  Earl  of 
Shaftsbury.     Month.  Repos.  vii.  491. 

3  The  Monthly  Review  was  commenced  in  1749,  by  Mr.,  afterward  Dr. 
Griffiths.  He  designed  the  work,  and  edited  it  for  many  years.  Among 
its  contributors  men  of  the  most  respectable  character  may  be  reckoned. 
Dr.  William  Rose,  author  of  a  well  known  translation  of  Sallust;  Rev. 
William  Ludlam,  rector  of  Cuckfield  in  Sussex,  and  fellow  of  St.  John's 
CoUece;  Rev.  Thomas  Gwatkin,  afterwards  connected  with  the  College  of 
William  and  Mary,  in  Virginia;  Dr.  Kippis,  as  already  mentioned.  One 
ot  the  most  constant  contributors  was  Rev.  Samuel  Babcock,  a  respectnble 
dissentins  minister,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  author  of  those  elegant 
sermons,'which  were  preached  in  the  year  1784  at  the  Bampton  Lectures: 
and  this  gentleman  was  for  a  long  time  connected  with  the  proprietorship 
of  the  Monthly  Review.  See  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  Science,  Literature 
and  the  Arts,  Vol.  xiii.  310,  311,  London,  1822. 


382  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSA.TJSM.         [Book,  vi- 

in  the  doctrine  he  advocates.  But  if  the  writer  is  a  Uni- 
versalist,  they  never  are  solicitous  to  hide  their  approba- 
tion of  his  sentiments,  and  indeed  his  theme  sometimes 
secures  their  favor,  and  blunts  the  points  of  their  fearless 
criticisms.  ' 

XIII.  A  dignitary  of  the  English  church,  renowned  for  his 
philosophical  and  moral  researches,  and  for  his  concise  but 
unanswerable  defence  of  Christianity,  claims  our  attention 
at  this  period.  William  Paley  received  his  education  at 
Christ's  College  in  Cambridge,  where  he  took  his  bachelor's 
degree  in  1763.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that,  from  his 
youth,  Paley  had  an  aversion  to  the  doctrine  of  endless 
misery.  When  he  was  in  college,  a  circumstance  took 
place,  illustrative  of  this  fact.  It  was  while  Bishop  Watson 
was  Moderator,  in  whose  words  the  I'elation  shall  be  given. 

"  Paley,  I  remember,  brought  me  for  one  of  the  questions 
he  meant  for  his  act,  jEternitaH  poenarum  contradicit  divinis 
attrihidis.  I  had  accepted  it ;  and  indeed  I  never  refused 
a  question,  either  as  Moderator,  or  as  professor  of  divinity. 
A  few  days  afterwards  he  came  to  me  in  a  great  fright, 
saying  that  the  master  of  his  college  (Dr.  Thomas,  Dean 
of  Ely)  had  sent  to  him,  and  insisted  on  his  not  keeping 
on  such  a  question. 

I  readily  permitted  him  to  change  it  ;  and  told  him  that 
if  it  would  lessen  his  master's  apprehensions,  he  might  put 
in  non  before  contradicit,  and  he  did  so."  ^  All  three  of  the 
parties  in  this  transaction  are  censurable  ;  Dr.  Thomas  for 
preventing  the  member  of  his  college  fiom  defending  a 
proposition  which   he  had   selected,  and  which  he  would 


^  To  those  who  have  the  means  of  examining  the  huge  piles  of  the  vol- 
umes of  the  Monthly  Review,  we  I'econimend  tlie  following  references  to 
places,  where  they  will  find  ]3roofs  that  the  contUictors  were  favorably  dis- 
p(*sei]  to  the  doctrine  of  Universalism,  xxii.  79;  xxviii.  811;  xli.  101;  Lxi. 
120,  122,  Ixiii.  :^10,  et  al.  fren. 

2  Life  of  Bislioj)  Watson,  by  himself,  Philadelphia  edition,  1818,  pp. 
19,  20.     Monthly  Kepos.  vol.  xiii.  53. 


A.  D.  1750.  UNIVERSALISM   IN  ENGLAND.  383 

have  defended  to  great  advantage ;  Watson  for  suggesting 
an  expedient  to  which  Paley  could  not  conform  without 
hypocrisy ;  and  the  latter  for  acceding  to  it.  One  of 
Paley 's  biographers  has  well  said,  "  as  he  had  fir.st  propos- 
ed to  argue  against  the  eternity  of  future  punishments,  we 
may  suppose  that  that  was  his  undissembled  opinion  ;  and 
therefore,  it  would  have  been  more  honorable  to  his  candor, 
to  have  taken  an  entirely  new  question,  rather  than  to  have 
argued  in  opposition  to  his  real  sentiments.  Through  the 
whole  course  of  his  life,  Dr.  Paley  seemed  too  willing  to 
support  established  doctrines ;  and  to  find  plausible  reasons 
for  existing  institutions  ;  and  even  in  cases  in  which  he 
must  have  felt  those  doctrines  to  be  at  variance  with  truth, 
and  those  institutions  in  opposition  to  the  best  interest  of 
mankind.  His  gi'eat  and  vigorous  mind  ought  to  have  dis- 
dained the  petty  subterfuges  of  disingenuous  subtLty,  and 
interested  sophistication."  '  There  cannot  be  a  question 
that  Paley  through  life,  viewed  with  abhorrence  the  doc- 
trine of  never-ending  misery.  "Where,  in  all  his  numerous 
writings,  has  he  used  an  argument  to  prove  that  soul-chill- 
ing system  ?  ]n  the  chapter  on  the  Divine  Benevolence, 
in  his  Moral  Philosophy,  he  lays  down  principles  diametri- 
cally opposed  to  the  thought  of  endless  suffering.  That  God 
does  not  will  ultimately  the  misery  of  man,  that  he  is  not 
indifferent  to  human  welfare,  but  that  he  has  in  all  his 
works  consulted  the  happiness  of  his  creatures,  are  the 
propositions  he  maintains.  He  held,  it  is  true,  to  the  doc- 
trine of  future  punishment ;  but,  proportioning  the  penalty 
to  the  degree  of  crime,  he  maintained  that  there  may  be 
very  little  to  choose  between  the  condition  of  some  who 
are  in  hell,  and  others  who  are  in  heaven.^  He  advises  us, 
in  the  end  of  his  Natural  Theology,  to  await  death  "  under 
a  firm  and  settled   persuasion,  that,  living  and  dying,  we 

'  See  the  Memoir  of  Paley  pi-efixed  to  his  works,  New  York  edition, 
1824,  vol.  12. 
2  New  York  edition  of  his  works,  1824,  ii.  49. 


384  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALtSM.  [Bookri. 

are  God's  ;  that  life  is  passed  in  his  constant  presence  ; 
that  death  resigns  us  to  his  merciful  disposal."  '  But  no 
detached  sentences  that  we  can  quote  from  his  works,  nor 
any  opinion  that  we  can  express  of  them,  will  beget  in 
the  reader's  mind  that  satisfaction,  that  firm  conviction  of 
the  unchanging  and  universal  goodness  of  God,  which  a 
perusal  would  afford,  than  which  nothing  would  more  fully 
convince  him  that  Paley  believed  in  the  universal  and 
eternal  welfare  of  the  human  race.  It  is  probable,  how- 
ever, that  his  situation  in  the  world,  prevented  a  full  and 
explicit  disclosure  of  his  views  in  regard  to  the  final  desti- 
nation of  the  human  race.^ 

XIV.  Among  those  who  have  breathed  doubts  in  regard 
to  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  and  encouraged  hopes  of 
the  salvation  of  all  mankind,  may  be  named  Rev.  James 
Foster,  a  learned  clergyman,  born  in  Exeter,  England,  in 
1697.  He  had  great  abilities,  a  sound  judgment,  extensive 
learning  and  a  ready  and  effective  elocution.  He  began  to 
preach  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and  in  1748,  received  the 
degree  of  D.  D.  from  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  Boling- 
broke  attributed  to  him  the  aphorism  that,  "  where  mystery 
begins,  religion  ends,"  which  is  certainly  ti'ue,  if  we  mean 
by  a  mystery  a  contradiction.  Pope  has  mentioned  him 
with  commendation  in  the  preface  to  his  Satires.  One 
great  aim  of  Mr.  Foster  was  to  lead  the  people  to  under- 
stand the  word  of  God  in  its  proper  sense.     He  said : 

And,  indeed,  it  has  happened,  that  the  holy  Scriptures,  of  all  other 
hooks,  have  beea  most  grossly  perverted  and  abused  this  way.  Com- 
mon writings  have,  in  the  main,  and  unless  in  the  heat  of  contro- 
versy, been  treated  with  fairness  and  candor  enough ;  but  the 
writings  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  by  picking  out  of  them  little 
scraps,  and  separate  portions,  which  cannot  be  understood  only  by 
attending  to  their  connexion,  nor  urged  as  proofs  of  any  thing,  in 
opposition  to  the  general  view  of  the  revelation,  without  rendering 
it  perfectly  unintelligible  and  useless,  the  sacred  writings,  I  say,  by 

1  New  York  edition  of  his  works,  vol.  ill.  321. 

'  Monthly  Repository.  * 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  385 

being  thus  mangled  and  torn  to  pieces,  have  been  represented  as 
teaching  the  most  absurd,  nay,  indeed,  very  impious  and  immoral 
doctrines.  The  building  of  doctrines,  therefore,  upon  single  texts 
may  lead  us  into  great  and  dangerous  mistakes. 

To  the  directions  above  mentioned  about  observing  the  general  de- 
sign of  Scripture,  and  the  connexion  of  particular  passages,  which  is 
necessary  in  interpreting  all  writings  whatever,  let  me  add,  that  it  is 
proper  for  us  to  make  some  allowances  for  the  difference  of  langua- 
ges, and  the  peculiar  phrases  and  idioms  used  by  the  people,  for 
whom  the  Scriptures  were  originally  and  more  immediately  designed. 
I  shall  explain  this  a  little  by  the  words  forever  and  everlasting, 
which  are  far  from  having  the  same  force,  in  the  sacred  writings,  as 
they  generally  have  in  our  own  language.  For  it  is  certain,  that 
they  do  not  always  signify  a  strict  and  absolute  eternity,  but  very 
frequently  a  limited  duration,  and  the  sense  of  them  is,  in  a  great 
measure,  to  be  determined  by  the  subjects  to  which  they  are  applied. 
Thus  every  one  allows,  that  when  we  read  of  "  everlasting  moun- 
tains," Hab.  iii,  6,  the  word  means  very  diff'erently  from  what  it 
does,  when  God  is  said  to  be  everlasting.  Again,  when  it  is  said  of 
Christ,  that  "  he  shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  forever,  and  ol 
his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end,  "  Luke  i.  33  ;  we  are  to  under- 
stand no  more  by  it,  than  that  he  shall  reign  to  the  end  of  the  world; 
for  then,  we  are  expressly  informed  by  St.  Paul,  "he  shall  deliver 
up  the  kingdom  to  God,  even  the  Father,  that  God  may  be  all  in 
all."  1  Cor.  XV.  24,  28.  In  like  manner,  when  we  are  told  that  Sod- 
om and  Gomorrah  "  are  set  forth  for  an  example,  suffering  the  ven- 
geance of  eternal  fire  ; "  Jude  v.  7  ;  nothing  more  is  meant,  than  a 
fire  that  made  a  full  end  of  them,  and  was  not  extinguished,  till 
those  cities,  with  their  inhabitants,  were  utterly  consumed.  In  these 
passages,  and  in  some  others,  which  seldom  regard  things  of  real 
importance,  we  must  allow  for  the  change  of  languages,  and  different 
use  of  words ;  and  the  common  people  will,  without  much  oitticulty, 
fall  into  the  true  interpretation  of  all  passages  of  this  kind,  if  they 
follow  but  the  natural  and  easy  method  of  comparing  one  part  of 
Scripture  with  another."^ 

'  Dr.  Foster  flourished  from  1725  to  1760.  See  Spark's  Collection  of 
Essays,  &c.  in  Theology. 

He  repudiated  the  severe  doctrines  of  vindictive  satisfaction,  and  affirm- 
ed that  the  New  Testament  has  not  one  word  of  infinite  justice,  not  a 
syllable  of  the  infinite  evil  of  sin,  and  maintained  most  liberal  ideas  of  the 
economy  of  God. 

In  a  sermon  on  the  Glory  of  God,  under  that  head  where  he  maintains 
"  we  are  instrumental  in  advancing  the  glory  of  God  in  proportion  as 
we  advance  the  happmess  of  the  rational  and  moral  world,"  he  says: 
"  For  the  end  of  the  Creator,  in  giving  being,  was  to  communicate  hap- 
piness ;  and  if  he  had  originally  intended,  and  absolutely  determined, 
that  his  reasonable  creatures  should  be  miserable  upon  the  wiiole,  this 
must  have  destroyed  the  foundation  of  that  esteem,  and  of  those  elevated 
conceptions  of  him,  which  the  wise  and  good  have  ever  entertamed.  And 
if  the  design  to  communicate  hajipiucss  was  sublime  and  generous  in  it- 


886  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNIVERSALISM.  [Boolt  vi. 

XV.  Thomas  Amoiy,  D.  D.,  must  be  classed  with  James 
Foster,  last  uamed.  He  lived  for  many  years  in  Taunton, 
in  Somersetshire,  but  afterwards  removed  to  London,  where 
he  formed  acquaintance  with  the  most  respectable  members 
of  his  profession.  His  discourses  were  liberal  and  were 
always  thought  to  be  good  and  often  excellent.  In  the 
London  Critical  Keview,  for  August,  1766,  we  find  the  fol- 
lowing paragraphs  under  the  head  of  Amory's  Sermons, 
which  involves  the  Reviewers  as  well  as  the  Divine,  in  the 
suspicion  of  heresy  : 

"  Nothing  can  be  a  greater  prejudice  to  religion  than  a  false  and 
unpleasing  opinion  of  the  Supreme  Being.  He  who  looks  upon  him 
as  a  rigid  and  inexorable  monarch,  governing  his  creatures  by  severe 
and  arbitrary  laws  ;  aiming  at  nothing  but  the  advancement  of  his 
own  glory;  pleasing  himself  Avith  the  mortification  of  his  creatures  ; 
predestinating  the  greater  part  of  the  world  to  destruction,  without 
regard  to  tlieir  behavior ;  condemning  them  for  a  crime  which  they 
could  neither  commit  nor  prevent ;  and  inflicting  everlasting  punish- 
ment upon  the  least  violation  of  his  laws ;  he  who  forms  these  false 
and  uncomfortable  notions  of  God,  will  never  worship  him  without 
reluctance,  nor  think  of  him  without  horror.  The  idea  will  frighten 
and  amaze  the  imagination,  deaden  all  the  activity  of  the  soul,  ex- 
tinguish every  sparK  of  devotion,  and  overwhelm  the  mind  with  a 
load  of  despair ;  he  will  be  either  like  the  unprofitable  servant,  who 
misrepresented  his  master  as  "  an  austere  man,  reaping  where  he 
had  not  sown,"  and  therefore  "  hid  his  talent  in  the  earth : "  or  he 
will  be  like  those  evil  spirits  "  who  believe  and  tremble,"  yet  never 
obey.  A  creature,  conscious  of  his  own  demerits,  will  never  serve 
God  with  pleasure,  nor  make  any  vigorous  progress  in  virtue,  till  he 
entertains  a  more  favorable  opinion  "of  his  nature,  a  hope  of  his  for- 
giveness, and  a  dependence  on  his  love. 

In  order  therefore  to  remove  all  false  and  gloomy  apprehensions 
of  the  divine  nature,  the  author  of  these  Discourses  directs  our  views 
to  the  noblest  object  of  contemplation,  the  goodness  of  God. 

As  the  subject  is  important,  he  examines  it  with  particular  atten- 
tion ;  he  explains  the  nature  of  this  amiable  perfection ;  he  shows 
that  reason  and  revelation  evince  the  benevolence  of  the  Deity  :  he 
points  out  many  remarkable  effects  of  this  benign  attribute  in  the 
works  of  creation,  providence,  and  redemption  :  he  describes  its  dis- 
tinguishing properties  :    he  answers  the  chief   objections  which  have 

self,  and  upon  that  account  highly  honorable  to  the  Deity,  it  necessarily 
follows,  that  his  glory  must  shine  with  a  conspicuous  lustre  iu  the  suc- 
cess of  it." 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  387 

been  urged  against  it ;    and  he  concludes  the  whole  with  practical 

reflections. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  first  discourse  he  opens  the  subject  in  the 
following  animated  manner  : 

This  perfection  of  the  IJeity  I  would  now  engage  j'ou  to  contem- 
plate. A  perfection  which  gives  the  amiable  lustre  to  the  other  at- 
tributes of  God  ;  rendering  his  omnipotence,  omnipresence,  infinite 
knowledge,  and  eternity,  which  separate  from  this  would  excite  our 
■wonder  and  dread,  objects  of  veneration,  love,  and  delight.  Al- 
mighty, ever  present,  allwise,  unchangeable  and  everlasting  goodness, 
is  the  noblest  object  of  contemplation,  love  and  adoration  to  men, 
angels,  and  all  intelligent  beings.  To  this  perfection  we  have  been 
obliged  for  our  existence,  and  for  all  our  powers,  capacities  and  ob- 
jects of  good ;  the  thought  of  it  is  the  most  cheering  amidst  the 
wants,  uncertainties,  and  distresses  of  the  present  state,  and  inspires 
into  the  bosom  of  the  pious  and  righteous  a  tranquility  and  joy, 
which  the  world  cannot  give  or  take  away  ;  this  supports  their  larg- 
est hopes  for  eternity,  and  brightens  the  shades  of  death  ;  and 
from  coiitemplating  this  perfection  in  the  lignt  of  heaven,  and  an- 
swerably  loving,  adoring  and  oeleln-ating  the  Father  of  the  universe, 
from  an  entire  resemblance  to  tiiis  truly  divine  quality,  and  from 
sharing  in  the  full  and  everlasting  communications  of  it,  is  derived 
the  complete  and  eternal  felicity  of  angels  and  saints," 

XVI.  Right  Rev.  Richard  Hurd,  Bishop  of  Worcester,  Eng- 
land, was  probably  a  great  doubter  on  the  subject  of  end- 
less misery.  He  very  seldom  mentioned  the  matter,  and 
when  he  did,  he  expressed  himself  with  great  care,  as  if  he 
would  not  commit  himself  to  an  unmistakable  avowal  of 
that  doctrine.  He  was  a  man  of  literature,  modest  and 
unassuming,  benevolent  and  winning,  and  stood  high  in 
the  estimation  of  the  king,  who  once  desired  to  raise  him 
to  the  highest  ecclesiastical  position  in  England,  if  not  in  all 
the  world— the  Archbishoprick  of  Canterbury.  The  humble 
bishop's  reply  was  very  striking.  Several  much  greater 
men  than  he,  he  said,  had  died  bishops  of  Worcester,  and 
he  felt  that  he  ought  to  be  content  with  the  position  which 
he  held. 

His  works  consist  of  eight  octavo  volumes,  which  were 
very  carefully  examined  by  Rev.  L.  R.  Paige,  about  1837, 
with  special  reference  to  the   point  whether  Bishop  Hurd 


3  88  MODEEN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvl. 

had  avowed  any  where  a  belief  in  tlie  doctrine  of  endless 
pains.     In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Sawyer,  Mr.  Paige  said  : 

"  That  Dr.  Hurd  was  a  Universalist,  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  be- 
lieve :  though  the  proof  of  the  fact  is  not  so  direct  and  conclusive,  as 
in  the  case  of  Warburton.  Warburton,  as  you  will  recollect,  said 
nothing  from  which  a  belief  in  endless  misery  could  be  inferred  ;  but 
frequently  mentioned  the  salvation  of  all,,  in  terms  too  jjlain  to  be 
misunderstood.  On  the  contrary,  though  Hurd  often  taught  the 
final  salvation  of  all,  yet  there  are  passages,  few  indeed,  in  which  he 
seems  to  teach  the  endless  misery  of  a  part.  His  Universalism, 
therefore,  is  to  be  sought  and  proved,  if  at  all,  like  that  of  Tillot- 
son." 

Mr.  Paige  quoted  the  following  passages,  showing  the 
manner  in  which  the  good  bishop  was  accustomed  to  write 
and  speak  and  preach  on  the  salvat  ion  of  our  race : 

"It  was  another  and  far  sublimer  purpose  which  He  [Jesus]  came 
to  accomplish  ;  a  purpose,  in  comparison  of  which,  all  our  policies 
are  poor  and  little,  and  all  the  performances  of  man  as  nothing.  It 
was  to  deliver  a  world  from  ruin  ;  to  abolish  sin  and  death  ;  to  puri- 
fy and  immortalize  human  nature ;  and  thus,  in  the  most  exalted 
sense  of  the  words,  to  be  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  and  the  blessing  of 
all  nations."     Vol.  v.  pp.  36,  37. 

"  It  is  unquestionable,  therefore,  from  these  and  other  passages, 
that  not  the  Jews  only,  but  all  nations  were  to  be  instructed  in  the 
Christian  faith;  that  the  Gospel  was  to  be  an  universal  religion ; 
and  that  thus  the  Messiah  was  to  be,  in  every  sense,  the  Saviour  of 
mankind.  There  is  no  doubt.  I  say,  but  that  such  is  the  language  of 
the  prophets  ;  and  that  they  clearly  suppose  the  dispensation  of  the 
Gospel  to  have  these  views,  and  to  terminate  in  this  event."  Vol.  v. 
pp.  156,  157. 

"  The  necessity  [of  the  Gospel  scheme]  is  apparent  even  to  us,  on 
the  grounds  of  this  very  revelation.  For  its  declared  purpose  was  to 
rescue  all  men  from  the  power  of  death,  and  to  bestow  upon  them 
immortal  life  in  happiness.  But  now  the  same  Gospel  that  tells  us 
this,  tells  us,  withal,  that  as  in  Adam  all  men  died,  so  in  Christ,  only, 
shall  all  men  be  made  alive  ;  and  that,  without  the  blood  of  Christ, 
there  could  be  no  remission  of  the  forfeiture  incurred  by  the  trans- 
gression of  Adam.  You  see,  then,  that  to  argue  upon  Gospel  princi- 
ples (and  the  fair  inquirer  can  argue  upon  no  other)  the  Christian 
dispensation  was  necessary  to  fulfil  the  purposes  of  God  to  man,  and 
o  effect  that  which  the  divine  councils  had  decreed  in  relation  to 
him."     Vol.  vi.  pp.  60,  61. 

"  Such  is  the  idea  which  the  Scriptures  oblige  us  to  entertain  of 
the  manifold  wisdom  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  :    manifold,  as  it  pre- 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  389 


sents  to  us  the  various  evolutions  of  an  eternal  and  infinitely  extend- 
ed dispensation  of  grace ;  but  one  and  the  same,  with  regard  to  the 
end  in  view,  the  redemption  of  a  ruined  world,  and  to  the  conduct 
and  completion  of  them  all  by  the  means,  and  in  the  person  of  the 
Redeemer. 

"  What  parts  of  this  scheme  lie  out  of  the  verge  of  our  world,  and 
how  much  of  it  hath  respected,  or  may  hereafter  respect,  other  and 
higher  natures  by  far,  than  the  sons  of  men,  it  would  be  fruitless  to 
inquire,  as  these  deep  things  of  God  have  not  been  distinctly  reveal- 
ed to  us.  Yet  one  thing  deserves  our  notice,  that  the  angels  them- 
selves desire  to  look  into  this  scheme  of  salvation,  1  Peter  i.  19  ;  and 
are  surely  some  way  concerned  in  it,  since  ic  was  designed  to  com- 
prehend, and  gather  together  in  one,  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which 
are  in  heaven,  and  which  are  on  earth,  even  in  Him." — Eph.  i.  10. 
Vol.   viii,  pp.  23,  24. 

But  once  more,  and  we  have  done.  Speaking  on  the  subject  of 
Mark  ix.  49,  the  words,  being  given  as  a  reason  and  explanation  of 
the  doctrine,  are  not  susceptible  of  any  vague  interpretation,  like  the 
■words  eternal  or  everlasting,  in  which  it  is  usually  expressed  ;  but 
must  necessarily  be  understood  as  implying  and  affirming  the  literal 
truth  of  the  thing,  for  which  they  would  account.  And  this  being 
supposed,  you  see  the  use,  the  unspeakable  importance  of  this  text, 
as  addressed  to  all  believers  in  Jesus.     But 

11.  There  is  another  sence,  of  which  the  text  is  capable  ;  and,  if 
you  think  it  not  allowable  to  deduce  a  conclusion  of  such  dreadful 
import  from  words  of  an  ambiguous  signification,  you  will  incline 
perhaps,  ('as  it  is  natural  for  us  to  do,)  to  this  more  favorable  inter- 
pretation, which  I  am  going  to  propose.     Vol.  vi,  pp.  1C3,  164. 

Notwithstanding  the  "  unspeakable  importance  "  of  the  first  inter- 
pretation of  the  text,  to  believers  in  endless  misery,  Dr.  Hurd  aban- 
dons it  at  once,  and  suggests  another  which  he  calls  "  more  favor- 
able." He  proceeds  to  explain  the  text  to  mean  generally,  that  all 
who  "  would  escape  punishment  by  fire,  in  the  world  to  come,  shall 
be  salted  with  fire,  in  the  present  world  ;  that  is,  shall  be  tried  with 
suff"erings  of  one  kind  or  other,  can  only  expect  to  be  continued  in  a 
sound  and  uncorrupt  state,  by  afflictions  ;  which  must  search, 
cleanse,  and  purify  your  lives  and  minds,  just  as  fire  does  those 
bodies,  which  it  refines,  by  consuming  all  the  dross  and  refuse,  con- 
tained in  them."  p.  167.  Having  sufficiently  amplified  this  inter- 
pretation, he  remarks  that  "  such  is  probably  the  true  sense  of  the 
text."     p.  170.     He  sums  up  the  matter  thus  : 

"  We  see,  then,  that  understanding  this  fire,  with  which  every  one 
shall  be  salted,  of  the  fire  of  affliction  only,  which,  like  salt,  is  to  try 
and  preserve  the  moral  integrity  of  all  believers,  and  not  of  the  fire 
which  dieth  not,  and,  according  to  the  former  interpretation,  was  to 
preserve  off'enders  in  a  perpetual  capacity  of  enduring  future  punish- 
ment, understanding,  I  say,  this  metaphor  in  the  former  sense,  we 
have  an  easy,  elegant,  and  extremely  useful  sense  in  the  words  of 
the  text ;  a  sense  which  perfectly  agrees  with  what  precedes  the  text. 


390  MODERN    HISTORY   OF   UNIVER8ALISM.  [Bookvi. 

and  illustrates  what  follows  it ;  whereas,  in  the  other  way  of  ex- 
plaining these  words,  it  will  be  difficult  to  show  their  coherenc(3  with 
the  subsequent  verse,  though  they  admit  an  application  to  the  fore- 
going."    pp.  171,  172. 

On  the  whole,  says  Mr.  Paige,  I  believe  the  Bishop  was  a  Univer- 
salist,  and  preached  the  doctrine  as  plainly  as  his  views  of  prudence 
would  permit. 

XVII.  Among'  those  who  doubted  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less misery,  we  must  place  the  name  of  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Richard  Price.  He  was  a  dissenting  minister,  settled  at 
Hackney,  in  England.  He  wrote  on  moral  and  metaphysi- 
cal subjects.  He  received  the  diploma  of  D.  D.  from  the 
University  of  Glasgow.  One  of  his  best  works  was,  "  Ser- 
mons on  Christian  Doctrine."  In  private  life  he  was  pure 
and  lovely.  Dr.  Priestley,  with  whom  Dr.  Price  once  held 
a  controversy,  said,  "  For  the  most  amiable  simplicity  of 
character,  a  truly  Christian  spirit,  disinterested  patriotism 
and  true  candor,  no  man,  in  my  opinion,  ever  exceeded  Dr. 
Price."  Possessing  such  intelligence,  and  mildness,  he 
could  not  be  a  bigot.  He  was  obliged  to  confess  that 
there  is  great  doubt  as  to  the  truth  of  endless  pains. 

In  one  of  his  sermons,  after  speaking  of  the  danger  of 
finally  losing  our  eternal  salvation,  he  says : — 

"  I  am  sensible  that  there  are  some  very  wise  and  good  Christians 
who  think  this  cannot  be  the  ciise  ultimately  with  any  human 
being  ;  and  that  even  the  impenitent  will  (after  a  severity  of  pun- 
ishment proportional  to  the  different  degrees  of  guilt)  be  recovered 
to  virtue  and  happiness ;  and  thus  Christ's  triumph  over  sin  and 
death  become  at  last  universal  and  complete.  This  is  an  opinion 
which  the  feeling  of  every  benevolent  man  would  determine  him 
eagerly  to  embrace,  could  it  be  shown  to  be  consistent  with  the 
language  of  Scripture ;  and  I  dare  not  pronounce  that  it  is  not 
so."* 

XVIIL  "We  must  here  introduce  the  name  of  that  illus- 
trious divine,  and  fine  writer,  Dr.  Hugh  Blair.  His  ser- 
mons are  in  the  hands  of  almost  every  divine,  and  have 
been  preached  as  much,  in  one  form  or  another,  as  those  of 

♦Sermons  on  Christian  Doctrine,  p.  219. 


I 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN   ENGLAND.  391 

any  other  man.  Dr.  Blair  was  pure,  precise  and  dignified 
in  his  style  ;  but  it  was  not  often  that  he  rose  to  fervor. 
On  one  occasion,  however,  his  theme  took  deeper  hold  of 
him,  and  he  uttered  words  which  led  the  sagacious  to  ask, 
"  Was  Dr.  Blair  a  believer  in  Universal  Salvation?  "  Look 
at  the  following  extract  from  his  24th  Sermon,  which  we 
should  think  proved  that  he  inclined  to  the  belief  of  the  sal- 
vation of  all  men,  were  it  not  that  certain  expressions  occur 
in  other  parts  of  his  works,  which  are  of  a  somewhat  differ- 
ent character.     The  good  doctor  spoke  on  this  wise : 

"It  is  much  to  be  lamented,  that,  among  all  denominations  of 
Christians,  the  uncharitable  spirit  has  prevailed,  of  unwarrantably- 
circumscribing  the  terms  of  divine  grace  within  a  narrow  circle  of 
their  own  drawing.  The  one  half  of  the  Christian  world  has  often 
doomed  the  other,  without  mercy,  to  eternal  perdition.  Without 
the  pale  of  that  Church  to  which  each  sect  belongs,  they  seem  to 
hold  it  impossible  for  salvation  to  be  attained.  But  is  this  the 
genuine  spirit  of  the  gospel  ?  Can  a  Christian  believe  the  effects 
of  the  sufl'erings  of  Christ  to  be  no  greater  than  these !  For  this 
did  the  Son  of  God  descend  from  the  highest  heavens,  and  pour  out 
his  soul  unto  the  death,  that  only  a  few,  who  adopt  the  same  mode 
of  expression,  and  join  in  the  same  forms  of  worship  with  us,  might 
be  brought  to  the  kingdom  of  heaven?  Is  this  all  the  deliverance 
Tie  has  wrought  upon  the  earth  ?  He  was  ivith  child ;  he  was  in 
pain ;  and  shall  he  not  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soid  and  he  satis- 
fied ?  Surely,  the  Scripture  has  given  us  full  ground  to  conclude, 
that  the  trophies  of  the  Redeemer's  grace  shall  correspond  to  the 
greatness  of  his  power." 

The  celebrated  Hosea  Ballon  once  said: 

"  It  seems  next  to  impossible  to  understand  how  the  foregoing 
quotation  can  be  rendered  so  as  to  accord  with  limited  salvation, 
for  no  one  will  pretend  that  Dr.  Blair  would  limit  the  power  of  the 
Redeemer. 

But  some  may  object,  and  contend,  that  this  eminent  divine  has 
used  expressions,  in  his  sermons,  which  indicate  that  he  believed  in 
the  common  doctrine  of  endless  misery.  To  this,  again,  it  may  be 
said,  that  it  would  be  much  easier  to  reconcile  all  such  expressions, 
with  the  opinion  that  the  whole  human  family  will,  finally,  be  made 
the  happy  subjects  of  salvation,  than  to  reconcile  the  above  quota- 
tion to  any  limitation  of  the  troj)hies  of  the  Redeemer's  grace,  so 
long  as  these  are  to  correspond  to  the  greatness  of  his  power."* 

*See  Universalist  Magazine  vol.  vii.,  p.  80. 


392  MODERN   HISTORY   OF   UNTVERSALISM.  (Book  vi. 

XIX.  Eobert  Hall,  A.  M.,  an  eminent  clergyman  of  the 
Baptist  comninnion  in  England,  if  he  did  not  have  doubts 
himself,  as  to  the  reality  of  endless  pains,  has  prepared  the 
way  for  others  to  have  them.  He  could  defend  that  doc- 
trine only  on  the  presumption  that  it  was  consistent  with 
the  highest  goodness  and  glory  of  God  and  the  highest 
happiness  of  man.  "If  the  eternal  misery  of  a  certain 
number  can  be  rendered  conducive  to  a  greater  amount  of 
good  in  relation  to  the  universe  at  large,  than  any  other 
plan  of  action,  then  the  attribute  of  goodness  requires  it ; 
for  I  take  it  for  granted,  that  the  Supreme  Being  will  adopt 
that  scheme,  whatever  it  may  he,  which  will  produce  the 
greatest  quantity  of  happiness  on  the  whole."  Thus  then,  it 
is  just  as  probable  that  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery  will 
be  true,  as  it  is  that  the  race  of  men  will  be  the  happier  for 
having  a  part  endlessly  damned.* 

After  having  made  such  a  remark,  the  Reverend  writer 
proceeded  to  say, — 

I  would  onl}-  add,  that,  in  my  humble  opinion,  the  doctrine  of 
the  eternal  duration  of  future  misery,  metaphysically  considered, 
is  not  an  essential  article  of  faith,  nor  is  the  belief  of  it  ever 
proposed  as  a  term  of  salvation ;  that  if  we  really  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,  by  truly  repenting  of  our  sins,  and  laying  hold  of 
the  mercy  of  God  through  Christ,  by  a  lively  faith,  our  salvation 
is  perfectly  secure,  whichever  hypothesis  we  embrace  on  this 
most  mysterious  subject.  The  evidence  accompanying  the  popu- 
lar interpretation  is  by  no  means  to  be  compared  to  that  which 
establishes  our  common  Christianitv  ;  and,  therefore,  the  fate  of 
the  Christian  religion  is  not  to  be  considered  as  implicated  in 
the  belief,  or  disbelief,  of  the  popular  doctrine. 

Earnestly  wishing  you  may  be  relie« ed  from  all  painful  solici- 
tude on  the  question,  and  be  guided  by  the  spirit  of  God  unto 
the  paths  of  truth  and  holiness,  I  remain,  your  obedient  humble 
servant,  Robert  Hall. 

This  is  an  important  concession.     The  doctrine  of  end- 

*  In  a  sermon  on  the  Spirituality  of  the  Divine  Nature,  Mr.  Hall  said, 
"  To  this  great  Father  of  Spirits,  the  very  min>ls  which  he  had  formed 
are  in  a  state  of  mysterious  subordination  and  subjection,  so  as  to  be  for- 
ever incapable  of  transgressing  the  secret  bounds  he  has  allotted  them,  or 
doins  iuiything  more,  whatever  thuy  may  propose  or  intend,  than  concur 
iu  executing  his  i)lan,  or  fulfilling  his  counsel. 


A.  P.  1750.1  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  393 

less  misery  is  not  an  essential  article  of  faith,  nor  is  the  be- 
lief of  it  ever  proposed  as  one  of  the  terms  of  salvation.  On 
Mr.  Hall's  hypothesis,  a  man  may  be  a  good  Christian,  and 
may  be  in  the  way  of  eternal  salvation,  even  if  he  reject 
the  dogma  of  endless  pains.  This  is  what  has  led  us  to 
say,  if  Mr*  Hall  had  no  doubts  himself,  he  has  certainly 
prepared  the  way  for  other  people  to  have  them.  These  re- 
marks occur  in  a  letter  he  wrote  to  a  gentleman  at  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge,  England,  who  was  in  great  perplexity 
on  the  question  of  endless  pains.* 

XX.  But  there  was  a  more  eminent  man  even  than  Rob- 
ert Hall,  among  the  Baptists  of  England,  his  senior  in  years, 
his  superior  in  eloquence,  the  idol  of  the  denomination  to 
which  he  belonged,  who  had  great  doubts  on  the  question 
of  endless  misery.  We  refer  to  Rev.  Robert  Robinson,  a 
man  of  extraordinary  genius.  'He  was  settled  over  a  con- 
gregation of  that  faith  at  Cambridge,  the  nursery  of  all 
that  is  great  in  literature ;  and  here,  by  his  eloquent  ap- 
peals to  crowded  audiences,  he  obtained  a  wide  popularity, 
and,  by  his  works  which  he  published,  a  lasting  fame.  But 
in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  his  sentiments  were  radically 
changed  ;  he  became  a  Unitarian  and  almost  a  Universalist ; 
and  Dr.  Priestley,  at  whose  house  he  died,  and  for  whom 
he  had  preached  just  before  his  death,  declares  that  he 
never  heard  the  doctrine  of  the  trinity  ridiculed  in  the 
manner  it  was  done  by  Robinson.  The  respect  which  he 
entertained  for  the  celebrated  Elhanan  Winchester,  who 
was  for  several  years,  a  popular  preacher  of  Universal  Res 
titution  in  England,  and  the  view  which  he  took  of  the  op- 
position made  to  that  sentiment,  are  at  once  a  proof  of  the 
liberality  of  his  heart,  and  raise  in  our  minds  a  strong  sus- 
picion, that  he  maintained  similar  views  with  that  great 
man. 

*  Works  of  Robert  Hall,  A.  M.  Published  under  the  superintendence 
of  Olinthus  Gregory,  LL.D.,  F.  R.  A.  8.,  London,  Henry  Q.  Jiolin,  1843. 
Eighth  edition,  Vol.  V.,  pp.  527-529. 


394  MODERN  HISTORY  OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvi. 

In  a  letter  to  a  friend  he  said,  "  Mr.  Winchester  has  been 
here  and  preached.  I  did  not  hear  him.  They  preach  and 
print  against  him.  They  pretend  that  God  is  of  their  tem- 
per, and  will  not  bate  a  day  of  eternity.  They  never  knew 
what  criticism  was,  and  they  do  nothing  but  chant  forever 
and  ever.  Poor  honies  1  servants  that  know  not  what  their 
Lord  doth.  Tell  one  of  them,  "there  are  twenty-five  mil- 
lions in  France,  and  there  is  not  one  among  them  like  you. 
Are  all  these  doomed  by  their  own  Father  to  endless  and 
unavoidable  woe?"  They  answer  gravely,  "Yes."  Ask, 
what  sort  of  a  Father  this  is  ?  They  are  never  shocked  ; 
they  never  blush  ;  but  aflSrm,  "  this  is  wise,  and  just,  and 
kind ;  and  it  will  be  more  glorious  to  save  me,  and  damn 
them,  than  it  would  be  to  share  eternal  life  amongst  us: 
and  we  few,  though  we  hate  one  another  here,  shall  be  the 
happier  for  the  damnation  of  the  rest."  Barbarians  1  what 
arrogant  madness  inspires  you  ?  Are  you  the  excellent  of 
the  earth  ?  "01  my  soul,  come  not  thou  into  their  assem- 
bly ;  to  such,  mine  honor,  be  not  thou  united.  Cursed  be 
their  anger,  for  it  is  cruel."' 

Of  the  circumstances  of  his  introduction  to  Mr.  Winches- 
ter, his  biographer  has  preserved  the  following  jeu  d^ esprit. 
"  What,''  said  he,  "  are  you  the  man  who  thinks  that  God 
Almighty  will  burn  the  old  tobacco  pipes  till  they  become 
white  again  ?"^  To  which,  there  is  a  tradition  that  he  add- 
ed, "well,  this  is  better  than  to  break  them."  In  his  biog- 
raphy, we  are  assured  that  he  had  real  fellowship  for  Mr. 
Winchester." 

By  the  following  letter  it  will  be  perceived  that  Mr.  Rob- 
inson had  got  wholly  rid  of  his  Calvinism  before  he  died. 

Chesterton,  Jan'y  10,  1788. 
Dear    Sir  —  For  once  you  shall  not  have  cause  to  complain  of 
my  delaying  to  write.     If wrote  that  letter  which  I  receiv- 
ed from  Abingdon,  I  would  alvise  him    never  to    defend   Calvin- 

1  Dyer's  Life  of  Robinson,  London  edition  of  1796,  p.  286,  287. 
'^Ubi  supra.    "Ubi  supra. 


A.  D.  1750.  UNIVERSALISM   IN   ENGLAND.  395 

ism  again,  for  he  himself  is  one  of  the  best  and  strongest  argu- 
ments against  it  that  ever  I  met  with.  My  chief  objection  against 
Calvinism  is  the  sourness  of  it.  Even  poor  small  beer  is  preserv- 
ed till  it  acquires  acidity,  and  then  all  reason  for  the  preservation 

of  it  ceases.     I  consider as  one  of   the    best    natured  men 

in  London  ;  but  if  Calvinism  can  spoil  such  a  temper  as  his,  it  is 
a  violent  presumption  against  it.  So  now,  his  natural  temper  is 
good,  but  his  system  teaches  him,  "  Sir,  your  nature  is  wicked,  alto- 
gether wicked."  ♦**»**•  His  manners  are  mild,  gentle, 
benevolent ;  but  his  system  teaches  him  it  is  a  sin  to  treat  errone- 
ous people  with  benevolence,  for  there  is  a  damning  guilt  in  error, 
and  he  who  doth  not  resist  it  is  not  sound  in  the  faith  ;  and  if  he 
is  unsound,  down  he  goes,  chuck  into  the  devil's  jaws,  who  champs 
him  as  crows  do  a  fresh  bone.     **•♦**♦**     If   such    a 

temper   as 's  can  be  so  metamorphosed,  as    to    throw    about 

firebrands,  arrows  and  death,  for  the  comfort  of  idiots,  the  tor- 
ment of  infidels,  and  the  glory  of  God,  what  are  we  to  expect 
from  the  tempers  of  men  who  are  naturally  savage  ?" ' 

XXL     Eev.  George   Walker,  F.  E.  S.,  has  been  placed 
among  those  who    raised  doubts  as  to  the  eternal  dura- 
tions of  puuishment ;  but  we  can  scarely  avoid  regarding 
him  as  a  believer  beyond  doubt  in  the  final  happiness  of 
all  men.     He  advanced  through  regular  courses  of  eduda- 
tion  until  he  entered  the  University  of  Edinburgh  ;  thence 
in  1152,  he  removed  to  Glasgow,  in  both  of  which  places 
he  enjoyed  the  attention  and  patronage  of  the  professors 
and   other  men   of  eminence.     In  1756,  he  was  ordained 
and  settled  at  Durham,  where  mingling  clerical  and  scien- 
tific duties,  he  finished   his  doctrine   of  the   sphere,  "  an 
astonishing  and  elegant  work,  which  he  had  commenced 
at  the   early   age  of  eighteen."     Thence  he  removed   to 
Yarmouth,   and   during   his   residence   there,  he  had  the 
ofler  of  the  situation  that  Dr.  Priestley  afterwards  occupied 
in  the  family  of  the  Marquis  of  Lansdovvne,  but  which  he 
declined.     He  was  elected  mathematical  professor  of  the 
academy  at  Warrington,  where  be  lived  two  years,  when 
he  removed  to  Nottingham,  the  great  theatre  of  his  exer- 
tions and  his  usefulness. 

'Dyer's  Life  of  Robinson,  London,  1796,  pp.  285,  286. 


39G  MODERN   HISTORY   OP   UNIVERSATJSM.        [Book.  vi. 

To  accept  the  oflSce  of  theological  professor  in  the  new 
college  at  Manchester,  he  left  Nottingham  in  1198.  For 
the  last  two  or  three  years  of  his  connexion  with  this 
college,  he  had  the  additional  charge  both  of  the  mathe- 
matical and  classical  departments  ;  in  a  word,  the  whole 
institution  rested  on  his  shoulders  ;  but  to  this  task  his 
advanced  age  and  declining  health  were  unequal.  As  a 
member  of  the  Literary  and  Philosophical  Society  of  Man- 
chester, he  took  an  active  part,  and  on  the  death  of  Dr. 
Percival,  was  elected  President.  All  these  offices  he  was 
obliged  to  resign  to  seek  that  retirement  which  increasing 
maladies  so  loudly  called  for. 

Four  volumes  of  his  sermons  have  appeared  at  different 
times.  Two  were  published  in  1790,  which,  to  use  the 
words  of  Wakefield,  "  are  pregnant  with  the  celestial  fire 
of  genius,  and  the  vigor  of  noble  sentiments."  Those  he 
was  induced  to  republish  towards  the  close  of  his  life, , 
with  two  additional  volumes,  and  two  volumes  of  essays. 
He  died  April  21st,  1807. 

The  following  extract  is  from  a  sermon  on  the  parental 
character  of  God.  "  A  parent  amoiig  men,  is,  as  it  were, 
the  creator  ot  his  children  ;  and  in  the  whole  progress  of 
the  relation,  he  is  their  protector,  provider,  legislator  and 
friend  ;  he  is  the  instructor  of  their  reason,  the  guardian 
of  their  morals  ;  his  discipline  chastises  their  passions  ;  he 
connives  not  at  a  crime  ;  he  punishes  in  love,  with  a  wise, 
a  provident  and  benevolent  view  to  their  highest  improve- 
ment, and  to  their  highest  capacity  for  sincere  enjoyment 
and  happiness  ;  while  with  all  his  aflFection  he  springs 
forward  to  embrace  them,  in  whatever  degree  they  appear, 
in  the  dignified  and  lovely  form  of  wisdom  and  moral 
goodness.  Such  is  the  God  of  Jesus  Christ  to  all  man- 
kind ;  and  thus  in  the  application  of  God  to  our  minds, 
Christ,  who  never  trifles,  who  mixes  not  imagination  with 
truth,  who  instructs  in  every  word,  from  whom,  even  in  his 
fables,  we  should  expect  a  consistency  with  what  he  knew 


A.  D.  1750.]  UNIVERSALISM  IN  ENGLAND.  397 

of  God,  of  another  world,  and  of  the  dispensations  of  jus- 
tice, of  holiness  and  mercy."' 

In  the  sermons  on  future  punishment,  the  author  clearly 
manifests  his  belief  that  all  suffering  will  produce  good, 
and  will  finally  end. 

"  Some,"  he  says,  "  have  thought  that  they  could  not 
clothe  the  future  punishment  of  sin  with  sufficient  terrors, 
and  have  given,  therefore,  such  exaggerated  descriptions 
of  them,  both  as  to  degree  and  duration,  as,  in  the  opinion 
of  many,  can  no  way  be  reconciled  with  just  sentiments  of 
God."2  He  maintained  that  the  punishment  of  sin  would 
not  be  inflicted  by  any  direct  act  of  the  Almighty,  but 
would  be  the  natural  consequence  of  sin ;  that  it  would 
be  a  mental  rather  than  a  corporeal  punishment.  And 
among  other  reasons  why  he  adopts  these  opinions,  he 
states  that  he  does  it,  "  because  it  leaves  God  unim- 
peached,  even  by  the  miserable  sufferer  himself,  in  repre- 
senting his  punishment  to  be  the  necessary  consequence 
of  that  evil  part  which  he  has  chosen  ;  and  not  the  arbi- 
trary punishment  and  infliction  of  the  benevolent  Father 
of  good,  who  does  not  delight  in  the  punishment  and 
misery  of  any  creature  he  has  made  ;  because,  in  fine,  the 
viewing  the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked  in  this  light, 
does  in  its  nature  suppose  a  capacity  of  being  relieved 
from  it,  of  gradually  acquiring  that  better  state  of  mind 
and  returning  inclinations  towards  virtue,  which  is  the  first 
and  most  desirable  end  of  all  punishment."' 

CLOSE    OF    THE    VOLUME. 

XXII.  At  this  point  we  are  obliged  to  close  the  first  vol- 
ume of  the  work.  It  was  our  original  intention  to  put  the 
whole  of  the  European  part  into  the  first  volume,  and  all  the 

'Sermons  by  George  Walker,  F.  R.  S.,  vol.  i.  395,  396. 

5Ibiil,iv.  98, 

•'Sermon  by  George  Walker,  &c.,  iv  125. 


398  MODERN   HISTORY   OF  UNIVERSALISM.  [Bookvl. 

American  part  into  the  second.  But  we  are  baffled  in  that 
design.  Facts  have  accumulated  so  much  upon  our  hands, 
we  have  found  our  oi'iginal  plan  unfeasible.  There  are 
many  important  truths  appertaining  to  our  doctrine  in  Eng- 
land which  are  yet  to  be  named.  Some  of  the  noblest,  most 
honored  and  beloved  of  the  scholars  of  that  country  remain 
to  be  mentioned.  But  with  all  these,  our  work  would 
be  incomplete,  unless  we  have  a  chapter  on  Universalism 
in  Belles  Lettres.  That  doctrine  pervades  a  great  deal  of 
the  poetry,  and  high  moral  fiction,  not  only  of  late  but  oL- 
former  years.  The  quotations  we  have  already  given  from 
the  religious  fiction,  written  by  Henry  Brooke,  the  "  Fool 
of  Quality,"  and  from  Milton,  Soame  Jennyns  and  Dr.  Ed- 
ward Young,  are  proofs  of  this.  Our  next  volume  shall 
close  up  the  history  in  England,  and  open  up  as  far  as  pos- 
sible the  chapter  on  Universalism,  in  poetry  and  polite  lit- 
erature. But  the  greater  part  of  the  second  volume  will  be 
taken  up  with  the  history  of  Universalism  as  a  great  doc- 
trine, and  of  the  Universalists  as  a  sect,  in  the  United 
States  of  America.  A  separate  chapter  will  be  devoted  to 
each  State.  It  is  not  possible  that  the  American  part  of 
our  history  can  be  compressed  into  less  than  three  hundred 
pages  of  the  second  volume.  We  do  not  venture  to  fore- 
tell the  exact  time  when  that  volume  shall  appear.  We 
hope  it  will  be  within  a  few  months.  But  so  much  de- 
pends on  our  health,  which  has  sufiered  frequent  interrup- 
tions of  late,  we  promise  only  this  one  thing,  that  the  book 
shall  come  out  with  as  little  delay  as  our  strength  shall  en- 
able us  to  bear.     The  Lord  will  be  with  us  unto  the  end. 


INDEX. 


Adam,  Doctor,  views  of  Tillotson,  174. 

"  All  Men  to  be  Finally  Saved,"  work  came  out,  1744,  366. 

Anabaptists,  rise  of,  48,  and  note ;  involved  in  the  troubles  of  their 
times,  51,  242;  behaved  with  great  fortitude,  52;  Universalism  pre- 
vailed among  them,  52,  53,  242;  defended  from  false  imputations, 
52,  note  ;  condemnation  of,  58  ;  excitement  against  them,  62  ; 
how  they  were  persecuted,  63,  64;  they  suffered  not  solely  for  be- 
lieving in  Universalism,  64;  worthy  of  special  condemnation  how- 
ever on  that  account,  65;  their  persecutions  spread  their  opinions, 
66,  67;  meaning  of  the  word  Anabaptist,  83,  note;  Anabaptists 
prevail  extensively  in  England,  83;  several  of  the  XLII  Articles 
aimed  at  them,  85;  should  not  be  regarded  as  merely  one  sect, 
86,  note. 

Analytical  Review  on  the  Spread  of  Universalism,  364,  365. 

Anderson,  Hans  Christian,  359. 

Articles,  the  XLII  prepared,  84;  Universalism  condemned  in  them,  85;  the 
original  in  I-atin  where  found,  86,  note;  how  the  Thirty-Nine  have 
been  regarded  by  the  divines  of  the  Church,  92;  restored  under 
Gen.  Monk  and  Charles  II.  140. 

Amory,  Thomas,  D.  D.,  on  the  goodness  of  God    386 

^pokatastasis  Panton,  title  of  Petersen's  great  work,  250,  note  ;  contro- 
versy on  the  subject  of  the  Jlpokatastasis,  253,  254. 

Apostolic  Creed ,  Thiess'  view  of,  273 ;  does  not  contain  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less misery,  273. 

Augustin  Confession,  65;  condemned  the  Anabaptists  65;  Luther  and  Me- 
lancthon    the  authors  of,  ()5,  274. 

Augustine  Saint,  calls  the  Universalists  of  his  day,  merciful  doctors,  196. 

Baerensprung  Siegmund,  writes  in  favor  of  Universalism ,  268. 

Ballou,  Hosea,  on  committee  for  preparing  a  history,  13,  14,  15;  ITosea, 

2d.,  writes  the  Ancient  History,  15—17;  his  feelings  when  Modern 

History  came  out,  18. 
Baptists,  the  first  Universalists  in  England  found  among  them,  83,  note. 
Barker,  Rev.  John,  a  Universalist,  212,  213. 
Barrow,  Dr.  Isaac,  a  very  learned  man  172;  probably  did  not  believe  in 

unending  torture,  172,  173. 
Bauman  Conrad,  a  court  preacher,  250,  note. 
Bayle,  thinks  eternity  of  torments  held  by  few,  245,  275. 
Blackburne.  Archdeacon's  views  of  XLII.  Article,  86. 
Blair,  Dr.  Hugh,  was  he  a  Universalist?  390. 
Brandenburg,  electorate  of,  Universalism   prevails   there,  268. 
Brandon,  John,  replies  to  Richardson  on  the  Torments  of  Hell,  135. 
Becon,  Thomas,  laments  the  rise  of  new  sects,  79. 


400  INDEX. 

Beyer,  J.  R.  G.,  opposes  endless  misery,  278,  279  note. 

Bible,  early  translations  thereof,  74,  75;  fears  of  the  people  about  reading 
it,75;  urged    to  read    it  by  Cranmer's  party,  76. 

Bitaube,  Paul  J.,  doubted  endless  punishment,  325. 

Bonnet,  Charles,  undoubtedly  a  Universalist,  309 — 311. 

Bromley,  Thomas,  a  follower  of  Jane   Leadley,  160,  163. 

Brooke,  Henry,  author  of  the  Fool  of  Quality,  370,  377. 

Burnet,  Bishop,  view  of  Articles  42,  8"^. 

Burnet,  Dr.  Thomas,  account  of,  187,  188;  his  work  "De  Statu  Mor- 
tuorum,"  189;  its  arguments  described,  190,  191;  his  ardent  oppo- 
sition to  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  192;  his  great  confidence 
in  the  justice  and  equity  of  God,  195. 

Burns,  Robert,  a  Universalist,  340,  341. 

Burthogge,  Richard,  M.  D.,  writes  the  work,  "  Causa  Dei  or  an  Apology 
for  God,"  154. 

Byron,  Lord,  deeply  impressed  with  Smith  on  Divine  Government,  339; 
340,  ?iote. 

Cabalistical  Epistle,  159. 

Calvin  opposes  the  Libertines,  60. 

Camphuysen,  Theodore  Raphael,  244. 

Canz's   Reinbach   Considerations,  271. 

Charles  I.,  accession  of,  94. 

Charles  IL,  gains  the  throne  of  England,  140;  desires  to  get  rid  of  Sir 
Henry  Vane,  the  younger,  144;  sufferings  of  the  Dissenters  under 
him,  147;  reigns  for  a  short  time  only,  and  the  Stewarts  go  down 
forever,  166;  bad  eminence  of  that  monarch,  172;  he  had  not  been 
a  Universalist,  172. 

Chais  de  Sourcesol,  opposed  the  eternity  of  pains,  320. 

Clarke,  Dr.  Adam,  speaks  favorably  of  Brooke's  Fool  of  Quality,  378, 
note. 

Clarke,  Dr.  Samuel,  doubted  the  endlessness  of  punishment,  205, 206,  note. 

Cranmer  made  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  72;  takes  the  oath  of  obedi- 
ence to  the  Pope,  73;  aids  tlie  Reformation,  75:  wishes  to  pro- 
ceed slowly  and  surely,  76;  he  justified  death  by  burning,  84; 
aids  in  the  formation  of  the  XLII.  Articles,  85;  brought  to  the 
stake,  87. 

Chewney,  Nicholas,  replied  to  the  book  on  the  Torments  of  Hell,  135. 

Cheyne,  Dr.  George,  defends  Universalism,  206. 

Credner,  Professor,  testimony  as  to  the  Rationalists  of  Germany,  284. 

Crellius,  Samuel,  account  of,  301 ;  was  a  Universalist,  303. 

Ciel  (Le)  ouvert  a  tousles  homines,  317. 

Coekburn,  Mrs.  A-,  a  Universalist,  312. 

Coliber,  Samuel,  doubts  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  217. 

Coleraine,  Universalist  Society  in,  332. 

"  Considerations  upon  Eternity,"  work  so  called,  136. 

Convocation,  order  all  heretical  books  burned,  88;  this  is  the  reason  why 
many  old  writings  have  not  reached  us,  88. 

Coppin,  Richard,  defends  Universalism,  109;  noble  character  of  the  man, 
110;  he  is  indicted  and  tried  at  Worcester,  111;  how  he  defended 
himself,  112-114;  is  tried  at  Oxford,  115;  certificates  presented  in 
his  favor,  113,  11(>;  he  was  inJicted  and  tried  at  Gloucester,  117, 
118;  discussion  in  the  Cathedral  at  Rochester,  Kent,  119;  how  he 
was  pursued  by  his  enemies,  120-124;  debate  continued  at  Roches- 
ter Cathedral,  123 — 126;  Coppin  is  imprisoned,  126,  127;  was 
thrown  into  Maidstone  ijrisou,  128,  129;  his  noble  independence 
165. 

Cooke,  Parsons,  view  of  Anabaptists,   86,  note. 

Coquerell  and  the  Church  I'Oratoire,  323. 


INDEX.  401 

Countess  [English]  writes  in  favor  of  Universalism,  250,  251,  252. 

Coverdale,  Miles,  aids  in  translating  the  Bible,  47. 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  rises  to  the  head  of  authority,  96;  character  of,  136; 

toleration    under  him,    139,   140;  his  death,  140;  how  to  form  a 

right  opinion  of  him,  166. 
Crowley,  Robert,  epigram,  80,  note. 
Church  of  England  abolished,  94;  Church  of  England  restored  by  Gen. 

Monk,  140;  gives  freedom  to  its  clergy  ou  the  question  of  endless 

misery,  234. 
Cuppe  writes  the  book  "Le  Ciel  ouvert  a  tous  les  hommes"  317. 

Damm,  the  German  Professor,  284. 

Dawes,  Sir  Wm. ,  writes  in  defence  of  endless  torments,  185,  186. 

Defence  or  Vindication  of  Origen,  250,  note. 

DeFoe,  hints  at  Universalism,  210. 

Demarest,  G.  L.,  cives  criticisms  on  Brooke's  Fool  of  Quality,  379. 

Denckius,  John,  an  early  Universalist,  53 — 57,  242. 

Denmark,  Universalism  in,  359. 

Dennis,  [bookseller,]  author  of  the  Prefaces  to  Jeremy  White's  work 
on  the  Restoration,  147,  148,  note. 

De  Wette,  a  Universalist,  291,  292,  note. 

Drexellius,  works  of,  published,  185,  186. 

Dietelmair,  wrote  ou  the  history  of  Universalism,  2.53;  that  doctrine  ex- 
cites a  great  controversy,  253,  254 ;  title  of  his  work  given,  255,  note. 

Dwighfs  Travels  in  North  of  Germany,  286,  note;  his  testimony  to 
the  very  general  prevalence  of  Universalism  in  Germany,  286, 
287,  note. 

Doctrine  of  Hell  Torments  distinctly  and  impartially  considered,  202. 

Doctrines   of  the  Reformation,  which  are  entitled  to  that  distinction?  66. 

Doddridge,  Dr.  P.,  expresses  doubts  as  to  endless  misery,  212. 

Dodwell  Dr.  Wm-,  rector,  writes  against  Whiston,  in  favor  of  endless 
misery,  203. 

Doederlein  speaks  doubtfully  of  endless  punishment,  272;  278,  note  ;  tes- 
timony of  the  Boston  Recorder  that  he  was  a  Universalist,  287, 
note ;  his  remarkable  expression  concerning  Universalism  in  an- 
tiquity, 290. 

Douglass,  Rev.  Neil,  a  Universalist  preacher  in  Scotland,  337. 

Dudgeon,  Mr.  Wm.,  a  Universalist,  221;  proof  of  that  fact,  222,  223. 

Duncombe.  Mr.  Wm.,  speaks  of  Tillotson,  174:  admits  Universalism,  370, 
373,  374. 

Barberry,  Wm.,  the  Independent,  106;  an  undoubted  Universalist,  106;  his 
clear  views  of  the  atonement,  107 ;  his  opinions  further  described, 
108,  109,  a  very  consientious  man,  165. 

Edward  VI.,  reformation  progresses  under  him,  76;  signs  a  death  war- 
rant with  teai-s,  84;  he  draws   near  his   end,  87;  dies,  87. 

Edwards,  Rev.  Thos.,  a  most  violent  Presbyterian,  87;  account  of  his 
Gangrena,  97,  98,  note. 

Edwards,  thinks  Tillotson  opposed  endless  hell    torments,  173. 

England,  see  under  Henry  VIlL,  Pi-inting,  &c. 

England,  history  of  Universalism  in,  resumed,  363. 

Essay  on  the  Divine  Paternity,  366. 

Established  Church  gives  freedom  on  the  question  of  Universalism  334. 

Evans,  thinks  Tillotson  inclined  to  Universalism,  174. 

Eberhard,  speaks  of  Arch  Bishop  Tillotson,  173;  he  is  wrong  on  some 
l^oints,   277,  note,  see  also,  284. 

Endless  Misery,  some  works  in  defence  of,  154;  generally  doubted  in  Ger- 
many, 272, 


402  INDEX. 

Entretiens  sur  la  Restitution,  251. 

Everard,  Wm.,  thrown  into  prison,  106;  defended  the  opinions  of  the 

Diggers,  165. 
Everlasting  Gospel,  255;  by  whom  written,   256;  appeared  about  1700, 

256;  when  first  published,  256;  different  editions  thereof,  257. 
Elizabeth,  accession  of,  88;  her  cautious  policy,  89;  articles  reduced  in 

her  reign,  234,  note. 
English  Countess,  writes  in  favor  of  Universalism,  232. 
Episcopius,  account  of,  '297. 

Ewing,  Rev.  James,  a  Universalist  ijreacher,  332. 
Enocliian  walks  with   God,  159,  161,  note. 
Fathers,  Christiaa,  generally  believed  in   the  restitution,  136,  note;  the 

same  fact  alleged  by  Dr.  Burnet,  191. 

France,  history  of  Universalism  in,  317;  Universalism  prevailed  exten- 
sively in  that  country,  321,  many  persons  refuse  to  admit  the 
eternity  of  misery,  322;  some  Christians  in  Paris  deny  the  eter- 
nity of  pains,  323,  324,  325. 

Featley,  Dr.,  replied  to  Sam'l  Richardson,  134. 

Felicity  of  the  Life  to  come,  work  on,  by  Villette,  331. 

Free  Will  Offering,  or  the  Love  of  God,  366. 

French  Protestants,  (Universalism  among)  318. 

Fischer,  a  German  Universalist,  261. 

Fischlin,  Dr.  L.  M.,  writes  against  Universalism,  260. 

Foi-bes,  Lord  Duncan,  doubted  endless  misery,  335. 

Forty-Two  Articles,  change  in,  88,  (see  under  Articles)  reduced  to  Thirty- 
Nine,  89;  reasons  for  the  alteration  considered,  90. 

Foster,  Rev.  James,  breathes  doubts  as  to  endless  misery,  384. 

Fuller,  the  German  Professor,  284. 

Future  Rewards  and  Punishments  not  revealed  in  the  Old  Testament, 
228;  writers  who  have  inclined  to  that  opinion,  229,  note\  230. 

Gedanken  von  der  Wiederbringung  Alle-r  Dinge,  255. 

Genevan  pastors,  were  Universalists,  305,  308. 

George,  David,  a  Universalist  of  1520,  61,  242. 

Georgious,  Franciscus,  242. 

Georgi,  a  violent  enemy  of  Universalism.  270. 

Gerhard's   Systema   Apokatastaseos,   263;    account  of  the  controversy 

caused  by  his  bo'>k,  264;   the  book  described,  264,   note;  further 

account  of  him,  276,  note. 
Germany,  Rationalists  and  Evangelicals  in,  284. 
German  theologians,  power  of,  increasing,  295. 
Greek  Church,  Universalism  in,  347,348. 
(lieseler,  his  view  of  the  early  spread  of  Universalism,  290. 
Griesbach  speaks  doubtfully  of  endless  misery,  278,  note. 
God's  light  declared  in  Mysteries,  130. 
Golden  Rose,  a  work  on  Universalism,  261,  note. 
Goodwin,  Thomas,  D.D.,  gives  a  rousing  argument  on  hell  punishments, 

171. 
Gruner,  J.  F.,  has  moderate  views  of  future  punishments,  278,  note;  284, 

285;  Muenscher's  testimony  to,  285,  286,  note. 

Ilaeufler,  J.,  writes  against  Universalism,  258,   is  replied  to  by  Sieg- 

volk,  260. 
Hahn  inclines  to  Universalism,  292. 

Hall,  Rev.  Robert,  encourages  doubts  of  endless  pains,  392.  _ 
"  Harleun  Miscellany,"  account   of  an    article   found  thexxin,  155,  157; 

conjecture  as  to  the  authorship,  157,  note. 


INDEX.  403 

Heaven  open  to  All  Men,  317,  367;  gave  rise  to  several  works,  367. 

Hell  Torments  searched,  shaken,  removed,  130. 

Hetzer,  Lewis,  a  Universalist,  53,  58,  242. 

Henry  VIII.,  at  first  opposes  the  Reformation,  69;  a  change  takes  place 
in  him,  69,  70;  he  breaks  peace  with  the  Pope,  70;  favors  the  Re- 
formation, 71;  allows  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  74;  his  power  was 
absolute,  75. 

Hey,  Dr.,  avows  that  the  39  articles  do  not  embrace  the  doctrine  of  endless 
misery,  90,  371. 

Hicks,  Dr.  George,  opposes  Archbishop  Tillotson,  181. 

Hildrop,  Rev.  John,  Rector  of  Warth,  a  Universalist,  379. 

Historical  Society  instituted,  25 — 28. 

History  of  Modern  Universalism,  how  it  originated,  13;  first  attempts  to 
gain  it,  13,  15;  sources  of  information,  16,  17;  publication  of,  17; 
the  work  reviewed,  18,  20;  plan  of  the  first  edition,  21. 

History,  Modern,  from  the  Ancient,  where  it  divides,  35. 

History  of  Universalism  in  Germany  from  1740  to  1750,  268. 

Holland,  Universalism  in,  297. 

Hooker,  Dr.  Edward,  a  leader  in  the  Philadelphian  Society  under  Jane 
Leadley,  162. 

Hooper  brought  to  the  stake,  87. 

Horberry,  Matthew  B.  D.,  writes  against  Whiston,  204. 

Huber,  Maria,  her  work  republished  in  Germany,  270. 

Huber,  Marie,  same  as  Maria,  an  eminent  Universalist,  308;  ftirther  ac- 
count of,  309,  7iote. 

Huber,  Samuel,  of  Wittenberg,  thought  to  have  been  a  Universalist,  245. 

Huet,  at  Utrecht,  attacks  Gruner,  285. 

Humble  petition  and  advice,  139. 

Hurd,  Rev.  Richard,  Bisliop  of  Worcester,  doubts  endless  misery,  387; 
probably  a  Universalist,  388-^390. 

Italy,  Universalism  in,  328. 

Independents,  rise  of,  95;  the  friends  of  toleration,  96. 
Ireland,  History  of  Universalism  in,  329 — 333. 
Ittigins,  Dr.  T.  on  the  gospel  announced  to  the  dead,  253. 
Instrument  of  Government  under  Cromwell,  138;  he  was  far  in  advance 
of  the  age,  138,  139. 

James  I.  accession  of,  94. 

Jennyns,  Soame,  370;  beautiful  extracts  from  his  works,  375—377. 

Jewish  Rabbis,  have  been  believers  in  Universal  Restitution,  159, 349 352. 

Joan  of  Kent  burned,  83,  84. 

Jones,  Rev.  Thomas,  a  Welch  Universalist,  343 ;  emigrated  to  the  United 

States,  343,  344. 
Jung,  John  Henry,  Stilling,  an  avowed  Universalist,  280 — 282. 

Kant,  Emanuel,  inclines  to  Universalism,  279. 

Kettlewell,  approved  Tillotson's  famous  sermons,  183,  184. 

Klein  Nicolai,  the  true  name  of  Siegvolk,  258,  259;  name  Siegvolk  account- 
ed for,  259;  whohe  was  259;  further  facts  concerning  him,  267,  note  • 
works  published  by  him,  276,  7iote.  ' 

King,  ArjhbLshop,  view  of  Tillotson,  173. 

Kippis,  Dr.  thinks  De  Foe  inclined  to  Universalism  210;  himself  a  Uni- 
versalist, 370,  380. 

Koch,  C.  G.  writes  solid  and  orthodox  Exposition,  253. 

Lampe  thinks  Camphuysen  believed  in  annihlation,  244;  wrote  Theological 
Dissertations,  261. 


404  INDEX. 

Latimer  brought  to  the  stake,  87. 
Lavater,  a  Univevsalist,  314,  315. 
Law  cruel,  passed  in  Ena;land,  99 — 102,  note. 
Law,   William,  370— 373^ 

Leadley,  Jaue,  159,  160—163;  time  of  her  death,  266,  275,  note. 
Le  Clerc  defends  Tillotson,  184,  244;  further  account  of,  300,  301. 
Lee,  Dr.  Francis,  writes  the  Life  of  Jane  Leadley,  161,  162, 163. 
Leibnitz  atteuiijted  to  refute  Sonner,  247. 
Less,  Godfrey,  opposed  to  endless  misery,  278,  note. 
Letlres  Theologique  sur  V Eternite  du  Peine,  282. 
Letsone,  371. 
Libertines,  sect  of,  59. 
Lightscheid  wrote  against  Siegvolk,  260. 
Lupton,  Dr.  attacks  Tillotson 's  sermons,  172. 

Luther,  not  decided  in  belief  of  endless  misery,  44,  45;  encouraged  liberty 
of  opinion  at  first,  49,  50. 

Macauley's  tribute  of  respect  to  Dr.  Thomas  Burnet,  188,  189. 

Martyr,  Justin,  j\Iild  Thoughts  on  Endless  Punishment,  196. 

Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  VIII.,  her  legitimacy  objected  to,  72;  at  the 
head  of  a  powerful  party,  76;  comes  to  the  throne,  87 

Meene,  Counsellor,  a  relative  of  Mosheim,  comes  to  his  help,  271. 

Mennonites  held  Universal  Restitution,  67,  note. 

Mercker  wrote  on  Universalism  (probably  against),  260. 

Mercurius  Franciscus,  242. 

Modern,  see  under  History. 

Monthly  Review,  editors  of,  speak  of  Tillotson,  173. 

More,  Dr.  Henry,  inclines  to  Universalism,  169;  his  Divine  Dialogues, 
170;  view  of  him  by  Richard  Ward,  171. 

Mons,  S.  F.  N.,  speaks  doubtfully  of  endless  misery,  279,  note. 

Mosheim  describes  Samuel  Huber,  246,  and  Ernest  Sonner,  247,  note; 
says  the  controversy  on  Universalism  raged  in  the  ISth  century, 
263 ;  gave  encouragement  that  he  would  write  a  history  o£  the 
doctrine,  254;  but  never  did  it,  254;  wrote  a  small  work  in  favor  of 
endless  punishment,  262;  the  work  described,  262. 

Meunschcr's  remark  concerning  Dietelmair,  254. 

Mursinna's  views  of  endless  punishment  very  moderate,  277,  note. 

Muskau,  Prince,  a  Universalist,  357. 

Neander  speaks  with  hope  of  Universalism,  293. 

Necker,  James,  an  ardent  Universalist,  319. 

NeAvcome,  Archbishop,  account  of  him,  331, 

Newton,   Sir  Isaac,  doubted  the  doctrine  of  endless    misery,   204,  205; 

20B,  7iote. 
JVon  omnes  tandem  servandi,  the  XLII.  Article  rejected,  234. 

Oberlin,J.  F.,  pastor  of  Waldbach,  a  Universalist,  320,  321 ;  style  of  hia 
sermons  and  goodness  of  his  heart,  321,  note. 

Old  Testament  does  not  reveal  the  doctrine  of  future  rewards  and  punish- 
ments, 228;  writers  who  have  defended  that  opinion,  229,  7Wte. 

Olshausen's  testimony  to  the  nobleness  of  Universalism,  287. 

Oi)en  Gate  of  the  Heart,  247. 

Origen  condemned,  36  and  37,  note. 

Origonism,  Examination  of,  270. 

Opuscula  Philosophica,  written  by  an  English  Countess,  defends  Univer- 
salism, 232. 

Pagenkop  writes  against  Musheim's  work  in  favor  of  endless  misery,  263. 


INDEX.  405 

Paige,  Rev.  L.  R.  takes  early  interest  in  the  History  of  Universalism,  25; 
his  examination  of  the  case  of  Bishop  Hurd,  387 — 390. 

Paley,  Archdeacon,  doubts  endless  misery,  371;  his  sentiments  on  the 
point  more  fully  showed,  382. 

Pannouius  Stanislaus,  a  Universalist,  53,  58,  242. 

Parker,  Matthew,  made  Archbishop,  8'J;  his  kind  iJolicy,  89. 

Parliament  of  England  began  to  decline,  95;  overawed  by  the  army, 
95;  cruel  statutes  passed  by,  98. 

Paternity  Divine,  Essay  on,  3(35. 

Pf  itf  wrote  De  restitutione  omnium  rerum,  260. 

Petersen,  John  William,  account  of,  249,  250;  agitates  the  public  mind, 
252;  Deitelmair's  account  of  him,  255;  the  time  at  which  his  princi- 
pal works  appeared,  2G0;  a  moving  spirit,  2G0;  wholly  devoted 
to  Universalism,  2(51;  replies  to  Mosheim,  263;  further  account 
of  Petersen,  265,  note ;  his  death,  when  it  took  place,  265;  had  the 
spirit  of  a  martyr,  266;  a  devout  believer  in  the  word  of  God 
266,  note;  his  controversies,  275,  note;  his  opponents, -275,  276. 

Petitpierre,  an  undoubted  Universalist,  311— 313;  where  he  resided,  311; 
how  he  became  a  Universalist,  311,312;  his  principal  work  "  Ze 
Plan  de  Dieii,"  312; pleasantry  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  312,  note; 
the  younger  Mr.  Coquerell  of  Paris,  313,  7iote- 

Presbyterianism  established  in  England,  95- 

Presbyterians,  cruelty  of,  99,  note;  the  new  doctrine  spi'ead  in  spite  of 
them,  99. 

Philadelphian  Society,  rise  and  principles  of,  160 — 163. 

Pistorious  wrote  God's  eternal  Judgment  of  wrath,  260. 

Printing  introduced  into  England,  69. 

Pomp,  Rev.  R. ,  writes  the  earliest  printed  attack  on  Universalism  ever 
published  in  America,  261,  note. 

Pordage,  John,  a  follower  of  Jane  Leadley,  160, 163. 

PostcU,  William,  account  of,  242,  243. 

Povey ,  Charles,  on  Hell  Torments,  203,  note. 

Price,  Dr.  Richard,  doubts  endless  pains,  390. 

Protestants  from  Germany  flock  into  England,  79. 

Protestant  Friends,  movement  of,  325. 

Puccius,  Francis,  some  account  of  him,  302,  note. 

Puritans,  rise  of,  93;  dispersion  of,  94. 

Purves,  Rev.  James,  a  Universalist  preacher,  336,  337. 

Prussia,  Universalism  in,  325. 

Ramsay  the  Chevalier,  biographical  sketch  of,  207;  his  works  favor 
Universalism,  208,  200;  a  rare  specimen  of  a  Catholic  Univer- 
salist, 209. 

Ratification  of  the  Articles,  236. 

Rationalists,  Universalism  among,  283. 

Reality  and  Eternity  of  the  Pains  of  Hell  demonstrated,  283. 

Reformation  (the)  retrospect  at,  36;  connected  with  the  History  of  Uni- 
versalism, 41. 

Reformation ,  causes  which  led  to,  42. 43 ;  principles  on  which  it  was  found- 
ed, 44,  45;  what  are  we  to  consider  the  doctrines  of,  66;  in  Eng- 
land, 69;  at  first  opposed  by  Henry  VILL.  69,  70;  progresses  in  the 
reign  of  Edward  VI. ,  76,  77. 

Reformers  before  the  Reformation,  39. 

Restel  published  the  Everlasting  Gospel  with  annotations,  268,  269. 

Revelation  of  the  Everlasting  Gospel  message,  159. 

Reviewers  Monthly  and  Critical,  inclined  to  Universalism,  370,  371,  380, 
381  and  note. 

Richardson,  Samuel,  author  of  Torments  of  Hell  Overthrown,  134;  a  Bap- 
tist, yet  he   threw  down  the  fuundations  of  hell,  105;  275,  note. 


406  INDEX. 

Ridley  brought  to  the  stake,  87. 

Roach,  Rev.  li.  D.,  a  Uiiiversalist,  219;  proofs  that  he  was  so,  220. 
Robinson,  Robert,  doubts  endless  misery,  371,  393,  394. 
Rogers,  John,  aids  in  translating  the  Bible,  74. 
RosenmuUer  speaks  doubtfully  of  endless  punishment,  272. 
Rust,  Bishop,  was  a  Universalist,  168,  329;  his  work  concerning  Origen's 
opinions,  330,  331. 

Sadler  and  his  Olbia,  159, 

Saunders,  Rev.  J.,  preaches  Universalism  at  New  South  Wales,  361. 

Sawyer,  Rev.  T.  J.,  takes  early  interest  in  the  History  of  Universalism,  25. 
his  sermon  at  Middletown,  Conn.,  40;  his  views  of  Martin  Luther, 
43,  45;  long  article  translated  by  him,  266 — 271. 

Scalidecker,  John,  a  Universalist,  2'12. 

Schaefer,  David,  a  German  Universalist,  26,  note. 

Shaftsbury,  Lord,  made  an  infidel  by  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  380. 

Small,  Archbishop,  induced  Horbeiry  to  reply  to  Whiston,  204,  note. 

Spanheim's  view  of  Samuel  Huber,  245. 

Stark  opposes  endless  misery,  278,  note. 

Statutes,  cruel,  passed  by  parliament,  98;  Statutes  given,  99 — 101. 

Strafa'ord,  his  Thoughts  on  the  Life  to  come,  157. 

Schleiermacher  inclines  to  Universalism,  292,  note. 

Sears,  Professor,  testimony  that  Tholuck  was  a  Universalist,  288,  289. 

Sebach,  Christian,  stiught  to  spread  Universalism;  27G,  note. 

Sects  in  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  47,  48;  new,  spring  up  in  Eng- 
land, 77,  78;  this  increase  of  sects  lamented,  79;  opposed  by  the 
Reformers,  81;  measures  taken  to  prevent  their  increase,  82,  83; 
spiritual  conflicts  of,  9G. 

Semler  argues  for  moderation,  276,  277;  note,  284, 

Serarius,  Peter,  a  Universalist.  248,  249. 

Sheen,  Rev.  Thomas,  a  Welch  Universalist,  343,  344. 

Specimen  of  True  Theology,  367. 

Steed ,  Dr. ,  370  and  note. 

Stein  of  Dreuse,  entered  the  Universalist  conti'oversy,  270, 

Steinbart  argues  against  endless  torture,  278;  2%^,  note. 

Sterry,  Peter.  159. 

Stilling,  Jung,  when  born,  271. 

Schlitte's  reply  to  Mosheim,  267,  270. 

Scripture  account  of  the  eternity  of  the  joys  of  heaven  and  hell,  vindicat- 
ed in  reply  to  Whiston,  203. 

Shrigley,  Rev.  James,  conversation  with  the  Jewish  Rabbi,  349, 

Siegvolk,  who  was  he,  25G;  an  assumed  name,  256,258;  author  of  the 
Everlasting  Gospel,  256;  have  known  but  little  of  him,  256;  wrote 
and  published  other  works,  257,  258;  replied  to  Mosheim's  defence 
of  endless  misery,  258;  his  true  name  was  Klein  Nicolai,  258,  259; 
still  in  the  field  266,  267, 

Smith  T-  Southwood,  an  ardent  Universalist,  339,  340, 

Stiehnitz  argues  for  eternal  punishment,  271 — 272, 

Stilling,  see  under  Jung. 

Sweeden,  Universalism  in,  353. 

Swift,  Dean,  thinks  Tillotson  doubted  endless  misery,  173. 

Swinden,  works  of,  published,  185 — 187, 

Switzerland,  Universalism  in,  305 — 315. 

Schuetz,  a  German    Universalist,  261,  note. 

Scotland,  Universalism  in,  335 — 342;  Universalist  preachers  in,  338,  339; 
Unitarians  in,  339. 

Solemn  League  and  Covenant  formed,    95. 

Sonner,  Ernest,  a  Universalist,  246,  247;  Mosheim's  views  of  him,  247; 
»o<e,  275. 


INDEX.  407 

Soulhey  says  Watts  agreed  -with  Origen,  212. 

Storr's  view  of  Hebrew  Ti.  2,  273. 

Stourdza  testifies  to  the  prevalence  of  Universalism  in  the  Greek  Church, 

347,348. 
Schubert  wrote  against  Universalism,  269. 

Taylor,  Jeremy,  inclines  to  Universalism,  167,  169. 

Thayer,  Rev.  T.  B.  takes  early  interest  in  the  history,  25. 

Tractatus  de  omnium  rerum  restitutione  by  Costacciaro ,  328. 

Testament,  Old,  does  not  reveal  the  doctrine  of  future  rewards  and  pun- 
ishments, 228;  writers  who  have  defended  that  opinion;  229,  note. 

Teuber,  Christian,  wrote  against  Universalism,  260. 

Theologia  Mystica,  1C3. 

Theosophical  Transactions,  159,  163. 

Thiess  writes  a  very  valuable  historical  work,  272,  273. 

Thirty  Nine  Articles  thought  to  teach  Universalifim,  91 ;  a  somewhat  doubt- 
ful position,  91. 

Tillotson,  Archbishop,  classed  with  those  who  reject  the  doctrine  of  end- 
less torments,  173;  his  excellent  character,  174,  175;  his  remarkable 
sermon,  176;  his  arguments,  178,  179. 

Tholuck,  at  one  time  embraced  Universalism,  287,  288,  289;  abandoned 
that  doctrine,  290. 

Thomas,  A.  C,  takes  early  interest  in  history  of  Universalism,  25. 

Torments  of  hell  searched,  shaken,  removed,  &c..  &c.  130 — 134. 

Tuiikers,  held  the  Restoration,  67,  note. 

Tyler,  Rev.  John,  his  testimony  concerning  Dr.  Steed,  370,  371,  note. 

Tyndal  &  Coverdale  printed  New  Testament,  75;  afterwards  the  whole 
Bible,  74;  he  was  seized  and  burned,  74. 

Ulich,  leader  of  the  Protestant  Friends,  doubted  endless  misery,  327. 

Uniformity,  Act  of,  passed  in  1662,  140. 

Universalists,  hypothetical,  157,  300,  note. 

Universalism  prevailed  among  the  Anabaptists,  52;  makes  its  appearance 
in  England,  80;  condemned  in  the  XLII.  Articles,  81,  85,  86;  con- 
demnation stricken  out,  89,  90;  no  heresy  now  in  the  Church  of 
England,  90;  prevailed  in  England  under  Cromwell,  97;  cruel 
statutes  against,  passed  by  the  Presbyterian  Parliament,  98,  99; 
tolerated  under  Cromwell,'  139,  140;  no  sect  however  called  by  that 
name,  164;  history  of,  written  by  Dietelmair,  253,254;  not  con- 
demned of  old  until  the  Fifth  General  Council,  274;  moral  influence 
of  in  Germany,  294,  note. 

Universalism,  see  under  History. 

"  Universalists  "  in  what  sense  I  use  the  word,  29,  30. 

Universalists  during  the  dark  ages,  36 — 39. 

Van,  Alphen,  attacks  Gruner,  285. 

Vane,  Henry,  the  younger,  141;  biographical  sketch  of  him,  141;  his 
speech  in  Parliament  against  Richaid  Cromwell,  143;  he  is  behead- 
ed under  Charles  II.  (16G2)  144;  his  character,  145;  proof  that  he 
was  a  believer  in  Universal  Restitution,  146,  166. 

Venn,  Rev.  Richard,  writes  in  favor  of  endless  misery,  224 

Vernes,  Jacob,  inclines  to  Universalism,  309. 

Villette,  C-  L.  de,  opposes  endless  punishment,  331. 

Voss  writes  against  Universalism,  269. 

Wales,  New  South,  Universalism  in,  361. 

Wales,  Universalism  in,  343 — 345. 

Walker,  George,  a  Universalist,  371 ,  395—397. 


408  INDEX. 

Warburton,  Bishop,  on  the  Divine  Legation  of  Moseg,  224,  225;  the  work 
further  described,  226,  227;  he  did  not  believe  in  endless  misery 
229. 

Ware's  Torments  of  Hell,  202, 

Watson,  Bishop,  testimony  as  to  Paley,  382. 

Watts,  Dr.  Isaac,  found  fault  with  Burnet's  position,  197,  note;  speaks 
doubtfully  of  the  doctrine  of  endless  misery,  211;  Southey's  tes- 
timony to  that  eifect,  212,  note. 

Wesley,  Rev.  John,  edits  an  edition  of  the  Fool  of  Quality,  378,  note. 

Wessel,  John,  an  early  Reformer,  40- 

Williamson,  Rev.  I.  D.,  on  the  Swedish  preacher,  353 — 355. 

Winston,  William,  thinks  Tillotson  denied  endless  misery,  173;  account 
of,  198;  his  worJis  against  the  doctrine  of  endless  torments,  199, 
200;  controversy  occasioned  by  his  writings,  202,  203,  205,  7iote. 

Whitby,  Dr.,  thinks  Tillotson  doubted  endless  misery,  173, 182. 

Whittiel-d,  anecdote  concerning,  181 ,  note. 

White,  Jeremy,  chapliin  to  Cromwell,  146:  a  believer  in  Universal  Resti- 
tution, 147;  his  work  on  that  subject  described,  lil,note;  who 
was  the  author  of  the  important  historical  prefaces  to  that  work, 
147, 148,  «o/e;  the  work  further  described,  148,  149;  the  author 
a  truly  devout  man,  149,  150;  his  prayer  to  be  guided  by  heavenly 
wisdom,  150,  151 ;  his  alarm  to  sinners,  152;  his  fervent  petition  \o 
God,  152,  153. 

Wicklift'e,  made  a  translation  of  the  Bible,  74. 

Winchester,  Rev.  E.,  view  of  German  Baptist,  86  note, 

Winstanley,  Gerard,  defends  Universalism,  103;  his  opinions,  104 — 106; 
his  works,  104,  105,  7iote ;  defended  the  opinions  of  the  Diggers, 
165. 

Worner,  writes  in  favor  of  Universalism,  268. 

Wolf,  J.  J.,  writes  on  Universalism,  253. 

Worrall,  Rev.  Wm.,  a  Universalist  preacher  in  Scotland,  338. 

Young,  Dr.  Edward,  probably  doubted  the  truth  of  endless  punishment, 
213;  reasons  for  that  conclusion,  214 — 216. 

Zach  writes  a  review  of  Dr.  Grapius'  book,  253. 
Zuinglius  suspected  of  Universalism,  46,  and  note. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Lib 


1    1012  01029  3761 


